It's my birthday, right?
by Yellowbuggedsavior
Summary: Emma's birthday has never really meant much to her, but once she realizes that no one in Storybrooke seems to have remembered she finds it harder than she thought. Swanqueen. in progress!
1. happy birthday to me

Throughout my life I haven't really seen my birthday as something to be celebrated. When I was younger it was one less year of being in the foster system, but once I was out of the system I would just buy myself a cupcake or cookie and then act as if it was a normal day. Since I have broken the curse, found my family and made some friends I have been so busy saving the town I almost didn't realize when I woke up this morning that it was my birthday. It's not like I'm expecting anything, you could never expect anything because that's how you get let down. I just assumed that my parents or someone would at least say happy birthday to me and that is the thought in my head when I start my day.

After I shower and get dressed I leave my house and go to Granny's for breakfast with my parents like I do every Sunday. As I enter the little bell above me signals and everyone's eyes on me for a split second to see who entered.

"Hey Emma," Ruby called from behind the counter "do you want your usual?"

"Yeah thanks rubes!" I called as I headed to the back booth where my parents are sitting.

"Emma! Hey we were just talking about you," said David.

"All good things I hope," I say joking with them. _Maybe they were talking about what today is._

"Your dad was just talking about taking me out on a date tonight, so that we could be alone for a little bit." Snow said as her usual cheerful self.

 _It's not a big deal Emma. No one has ever really wished you a happy birthday before why should it start mattering now._ "That's awesome," I start but then I realize "wait what does that have to do with me?" I say with my eyebrows furrowed.

"Yeah see the thing is, that I have night shift tonight." He said giving me an uncertain look "So I was wondering if you would take the shift for me tonight since you don't have any plans- Oh unless you do have plans?" Charming David finished in a panic.

 _I might as well take it I don't really have anything else to do. I can always buy a cupcake on break and eat it later at the station._ When I looked up both my parents were staring at me.

"I don't see why not." I say as Ruby shows up with my hot cocoa, bacon and French toast.

"OH good! Thank you so much" snow said with the brightest face on.

"It's really not that big of a deal. Thanks rubes!" I called out to Ruby at the last second because she seemed to leave really fast. _Weird._ As we eat we go through too many topics to be considered normal. I like to enjoy my food, relish in it really, which I apparently didn't get from my mother. So I just nod and people watch while eating as they talk back and forth. That's when Henry comes bursting through the door almost shattering the poor little bell.

"Henry! Slow down! We are just getting food." Regina scolds and then notices the charming family that her son was in such a hurry to see. "aah this actually makes more since" she says with a little smirk.

Seeing Henry always puts a smile on my face "Hey kid! Hi Regina."

"Hello Emma, henry calm down you act like you haven't seen her in like a year it's been two days dear." she said confused and I just smile at her because it's true it's only been two days I had gotten really into my work and just wanted to sleep when I got home so henry has been staying at Regina's.

"I know mom but I don't know it feels like forever and I just felt like she needed a hug." He said as if he was talking about a school fieldtrip. _I mean everyone seems to have forgotten the day I was born but other than that I'm peachy, not that big of a deal._ I look up at Regina and she looks at me in concern or confusion so I look away and talk to henry.

"Hey kid, I mean I love the hugs but I'm fine I promise," I say with a smile and I ruffle his hair, "well I should probably head to the station now." That sentence caused two furrowed brows and spoiler alert it wasn't my parents.

"Station?" started henry.

"I thought you didn't work on Sundays? Isn't that your day off?" Regina finished Henrys question.

"Oh yeah, but my parents here," I look and point at my parents in the booth that I just stood out of, "are going on a lovely little date and my dad asked me to take his shift. Didn't see why I couldn't, so here we are. It's all fine" I said with a falsely happy voice that seemed to be caught by Regina because she raised her eyebrows.

"Fine.?"

"Yup that's what I said, I gotta go though," I kiss Henry on the head and then slide pass Regina. "Hey kid tomorrow after work we can play video games if it's okay with your mom that I come over," I say looking between Henry and Regina. Henry is distracted by the food he ordered but says he would love to, but Regina is still looking at me like I sprouted a second head but nods her acceptance. "Okay great, bye mom dad! You owe me. Bye kid, jeez! Breathe, you have as long as you need to eat." I pause by the door laughing silently at how much Henry eats like me. "Bye Regina, see you tomorrow! Bye Rubes, you need to come by later and tell me why you are acting weird." And with that I exited the diner and headed to work on my birthday which apparently no one knew was today except me.

It's almost 5 o'clock when Ruby walks in looking a little worried or confused about something. I look up from my paper work, "Hey rubes." She looks up in shock like she didn't notice I was in here. "You do know you are in the sheriff's office right?" I say with a little giggle. When she doesn't laugh back and is just looking off into space I decide it's time to stop tiptoeing around the subject.

"Okay, what the hell rubes, what is your problem? You are acting like I killed someone and you don't know how to approach me, it's kinda creepin me out, so would you stop?" I feel a little better for saying what I needed to say, but I felt a little worst also because ruby looks like I just took away her favorite toy. "Look I'm sorry, it's just you are usually so happy and cheerful and I miss it. What's going on?"

"Honestly Ems? I don't know, I feel like today is something important but the more I think about it the harder it is to remember. It has been bugging me all day! Did someone die today? Like come on why can't I remember!" ruby said in frustration as she turned and walked to one of the desks by the cell and hopped up on it to sit.

 _Hmm. Maybe it's my birthday she remembers, no shut up Emma she said something important._

"Okay, first of all rubes, it's sad that the first thing you think of is death," I said raising my eyebrows. "Second of all, just stop trying so hard to remember. I'm sure it will come to you eventually, it's okay." I rested my hand on her arm reassuringly and then walked back to my office to start work again.

"Thanks Ems, but I just can't let this go. I need to know. Obviously I think it's important, so what if when I remember it is too late?" Ruby talks as she followed me into the sheriff's office.

"I'm sure the person will forgive you, you're way to nice to have someone hate you." I say with a shrug.

That got a small smile out of Ruby, but it seemed that whatever she didn't remember she was going to keep trying until she did. "Maybe it's someone's birthday, ugh I don't know, I have to get back to the diner though, I took my break to come talk to you. Bye Ems! Come by tomorrow for lunch!" she said as she skipped out of the station not realizing Emma froze her writing and her entire body stiffened.

"Yeah bye." I said at the last minute. _There is no way she was talking about my birthday. Its not that big of a deal, plus if I said anything now it would be weird, the day is almost over. I don't want people to give me weird looks for not mentioning it at breakfast. Even though, you know, I shouldn't have to mention it to my own parents. Regina and Henry not knowing stings a little bit, with the whole showing up on my birthday and mentioning it to them that day when I first got here. Whatever, it's okay. I'll just go get my cupcake in an hour or two and then live life normally._

1 hour later-

"I got so much paper work done." I say to myself proudly as I get up to stretch.

 _This seems like a perfect time to go get my cupcake._

I leave the station and head to one of the grocery stores a couple blocks over. I wanted to enjoy the air, so I didn't take my bug. As I was walking I went passed Archie taking Pongo for a walk.

"Hey Emma! What a beautiful day it has been today. Wonderful walking weather. How is your day off?"

"Hey Archie, yeah it is beautiful, but I'm sad to say this is my first time outside since this morning. I took my dad's shift because he wanted to take my mom on a date." I say with a forced smile.

Archie looks concerned, "Are you okay, Emma?"

 _Kind of getting sick of being looked at like a kicked puppy but other than that YES I AM FINE._

"Yeah, fine. Why wouldn't I be? I'm just going for a walk to stretch my legs before I head back to work. Is that okay with you?" I snap. I don't know where that came from but Archie didn't deserve that. "Archie I am so sorry! I didn't mean that. It's just been a long day." I say in defeat.

"It's not a problem," he says with a small smile, "you know I am here if you need to talk, right?"

"Yeah. I know." I say emotionless. "But I don't need a shrink. I just need sleep. I'm just going to finish my walk. Bye Archie." I say the last part in a defeated whisper.

Archie watches as Emma walks away from him. "Have a great rest of your day Emma."

"yeah." I say with a wave over my shoulder and continue onto the store.

Once I finally got to the front entrance of the building I walked up to the automatic doors and was about to walk in, until I saw Regina in one of the aisles. I panicked and froze right where the doors open and close. When I finally gained the ability to move I left. _I don't really need a cupcake, it's not a problem I'll just go back to the station and do more work. Maybe I'll get it all done and then tomorrow will be an easier day for me. Why couldn't I just go into the stupid store? Regina probably wouldn't have even seen me go in, and she would be gone by the time I was done._

What Emma didn't realize is just as she turned to run out of the door, Regina looked up and was about to call her name to say hi and ask her why she was there. Regina was so confused by the actions of the savior that she decided that after she dropped off all the groceries she bought from the store, she will go over to the station and see what is going on with her.

Once I got back to the station I sat down at my desk in a huff. _Now I don't even get to have a cupcake, great, made my day SO much better. Hey,_ I thought sarcastically, _At least I know that my parents won't give me an extra beating for my "special day"._ I turned on some music and continued my paper work from earlier.

An hour and a half passed before an unexpected visitor decided to grace me with her presence. I'm just really not in the mood for visitors. It was supposed to be a simple day. Go to work and be alone, but no it turned out to be, go to work try to celebrate my own birthday by myself, fail, come back to the station to be alone, and fail. Shocker, this day sucks.

I lean back in my chair with a pen still in my hand, "Heeey Gina."

"Emma." She said acknowledging me while she sat in the chair on the opposite side of my desk. Once she sat down she put her arms on the armrests and just looked at me like she was trying to gauge out my mood. _I'm not in a mood she needs to mind her own business and lea- okay so maybe I'm in a mood, so what. Ugh, just go home._

I squint my eyes at her. "Can I help you with something in particular or did you just come here to stare at me?" I was rewarded with eyebrows sky rocketing on her forehead.

"Well that answers one question. Someone is **definitely** in a mood. My other question would have to be why, dear." Regina started off in her amused voice and ended in wonderment.

"I'm not in a 'mood', as you say. It has just been a really long day, I wasn't expecting to work." I shrugged off her question and sat forward in my chair to continue writing.

"Emma, something seems to be really bothering you-"Regina started to say but was cut off.

"Regina. I'm fine, nothing is bothering me. I am just trying to do the work you pay me to do. Is there something wrong with that? Why does everyone keep asking me these _stupid_ questions? Just leave me alone." I snap knowing that Regina honestly didn't deserve that. She is just trying to be nice.

The whole time Emma was going off on her rant, Regina was a little annoyed that she was interrupted but mostly she was just concerned about why Emma was snapping. Emma was always able to control her emotions.

"Okay, just to let you know," she started off calmly, "I don't appreciate you interrupting me, much less you interrupting me to yell at me. What the hell is going on with you?" Regina ended on the end of her seat.

I know she didn't deserve it, but I'm just so angry. I have a stupid reason to be but I am.

"I know, I'm sorry." I say as I scoot my chair in closer to the desk with me in it, "can you just, go please, I have a lot of work to do and I already had my break." I couldn't make eye contact with her because I might have broken.

"Speaking of your break, I saw you at the store. You didn't even come in." she stated confused.

"I decided not to get something. That's all there is to it. Anything else you want to question me on? Maybe when I went to the bathroom or if I purposely spilt my coffee this morning for a break?" I was doing it again I know but the later it got in the day the more hurt I was becoming. _I guess I'm not as important as I thought I was to any of these people. Just here to save the day._

"Emma?" Regina asked in an offended voice that also sounded a little bit hurt. I didn't mean to hurt her, I just want her to go away so I won't say something worse.

"Regina, just go. Please. I have a lot of work to do. I'm sure Henry is waiting for you at your house." I said in defeat.

Regina just sat there stunned for a second until she finally got up to leave. "Fine, I'll go, since you are obviously too stubborn to just talk to a friend about why you are so mad or upset. Just so you know though, I will find out why." She said as she walked out the door.

"Doubt it." I whispered and relaxed back into my chair.

It was 9 o'clock when Regina left the station, and I have to be here until 12 am when David will finally be back. I continue doing my work and listening to music. One of my favorite songs come on and it brightens my mood a little bit. At around 11:30, I get a call from David. I assume that it was him calling me to tell me that he will be a little early or that he was just calling to make sure I knew he would be there. Boy was I wrong, he called me to tell me that he wasn't going to be able to make it by 12, and that he lost track of time and they are really far away from the station. Of course I put on a fake happy voice and told him not to worry about it, that I would just stay at the station, and for him not to worry about it. As he was saying goodbye and sorry again I had enough and I just ended the call. I don't even know how long I will have to be here until someone shows up tomorrow. _I honestly don't know why I am so upset no one remembered, I have never had a happy birthday yet and why should it start now. I need to go get blankets and a pillow so I can sleep in the cell._

After I got the blankets and stuff I put them in the cell and then went back to my desk to continue doing paper work until I can't keep my eyes open.

~across town at the mansion 9:05pm~ *Regina's point of view*

I walk into my house thinking of things that could be wrong with Emma.

"HENRY! I'M HOME!" I yell. _Maybe Henry will know._

I hear footsteps racing down the stairs. "Hey mom, I thought I heard you come in earlier with the groceries, but when I came down to help you weren't here. Did I just imagine that?" he asked confused.

"Oh, no henry I was home for a minute but I went back out." I answered and started walking to the kitchen to put the non-perishables away since she didn't do that earlier.

Henry assumed she was going to elaborate on it but when she didn't,

"So where did you go?" he questioned

"To the station." I answered while putting a box of oatmeal away.

"Why? Did something happen?"

"No." I replied shortly.

"Okay? Then why did you go?" he asked as if it was the most obvious thing.

"To see if Emma was okay." I said as I turned to look at him and lean on the counter.

"Why wouldn't Emma be okay?" he asked with a little concern.

"She was acting strange at the diner and then I saw her at the store when I was there." I say as I picture the scene as if it was happening again.

"So what if she went to the store.?" He said confused.

"She didn't go in. She was standing at the door and then she just left. It was weird."

"That is weird. Maybe she just decided she didn't want to buy something."

I gave Henry an amused look, "That's exactly what she said."

"Maybe it was the truth?" henry said as he got up to get a light snack.

"I don't think so, she is hiding something. She seems like she is hurt by something." I say as I stand up straighter. That got Henry's attention.

"What could she be hurt by?" he asked walking towards the counter. "She agreed to work for grandpa, if she didn't want to she could have said no."

"Yeah I don't think that would make her to upset, unless they had plans for today and they forgot, but she didn't?" I question.

"I hadn't heard of any plans. It has been pretty quiet lately."

"This is going to bother me until I find out." I say putting my head in my hands.

"You know how Emma is, mom. It'll take time for her to tell."

"I just have this gut feeling that I need to find out tonight." I say while my eyes are closed.

"Well I finished all my homework, we can stay up to figure it out. I'm sure we can do it."

"Thank you henry, but you have to be in bed by midnight no later." I added sternly. Usually his bed time is 10 but this is really bothering me and Henry is really good at this kind of stuff.

"Deal." He said with a big grin on his face. "Okay so what happened when you went to go see Ma?"

When Regina was done telling the tale of what happened at the station and a couple of ideas of what her problem might have been, it was already 11:45.

I was growing frustrated that I couldn't think of anything that could have happened to make Emma act the way she was acting. I could tell that Henry was getting tired, and just when I was about to tell him to go upstairs and go to sleep he said something from his position lying down on the couch.

"You know what would suck," he said quietly as if he was about to fall asleep, "if it was her birthday or something."

"Yeah tha-" I started to say and then it hit me. It was her birthday. My eyes widened and I stiffened it took Henry a minute longer to realize what he had actually said, but when he did he shot up sitting straight on the couch, his eyes just as wide as mine and we just stared at each other frozen.

"SHIT." I say not even caring that Henry is in the room. How did everyone in this town forget the person who has saved them multiple times birthday? "Oh. My. Gosh. Henry the charming's went on a date, on their only daughter's birthday and stuck her at work." I said as I stood up panicking.

"We all had breakfast with her." Henry said in horror. "None of us remembered. We are all horrible. WHY DIDN'T SHE TELL US?"

"Henry, she shouldn't have had to tell us! Did anyone tell her when it was your birthday or hell, even mine? I don't even know how she knew my birthday I never told her! She threw Snow a surprise party and made her dad a cake! She even decorated Ruby's apartment without her knowing!" I was feeling worse every minute.

"What are we going to do it's already basically midnight. At least it will be when we get to her house." He said in a sad voice.

"Is she even at her house? When was she supposed to get off work?"

"Grandpa always gets off at midnight on Sundays. She will be heading home now."

We both just stare at each other for a second and then we both rush in different directions to get the things they need to leave the house. I make it to the door first

"Come on henry!" I say.

"I'm coming!" he said running down the stairs to the front door only to skid to a stop right in front of me.

We drove all the way to Emma's house on the edge of town which took about 20 minutes. Only to find out that she wasn't home.

"Where is she? I don't see her yellow slug," I ask mostly to myself, but henry heard and decided to answer.

"It's a bug, mom. Not slug." He said giving her the side eye.

"Oh same difference." I waved him off. "We probably should have tried the station first, dear. You know how caught up in work she gets."

"I totally forgot, because we were talking about when grandpa works Sundays. I just assumed they act the same, but grandpa rushes out and Ma stays and makes sure things are done."

With raised eyebrows I say, "Really? Are you trying to make your mom look good?"

"Yeah," he giggles, "she actually is really good at her job though. Aren't we supposed to be headed to the station? Not talking about how awesome Ma is."

"Oh, right let's go!" I say and then head back to the car with henry right beside me.

*Emma's POV*

I couldn't write properly after 12:05am, it has been way too long of a day to even try. I shut my folder and organize my desk a little bit before shutting down my computer and heading over to the cot it the cell. _Not the first time I have slept in a cell on my birthday. I can't believe that my parents forgot. They have had 28 years of not having to worry about presents or loving me and then the one time they can, they go on a date._ I finally let a couple tears escape after I laid down on the cot facing the wall. _It's officially not my birthday, there is no reason for me to be sad anymore. When I wake up tomorrow I can just act like it's a normal day._

"Happy Birthday Emma," I whisper to myself as I fall to sleep.

*Regina's POV*

We get to the station around 12:30am, I know henry has school tomorrow but this is important. It's his mom's birthday. We park the car and all but sprint into the station. I almost assume that no one is here either.

"Where is she?" henry whispers.

"I don't know henry, I just got here too." I sass.

We do straight to her office space and see how clean is, it's so much better compared to the mess it was earlier that day. There was a sticky note on the computer screen and it confused them both.

 **David,**

 **Wake me up when you get here if I'm not already awake. -Emma**

"Did David not show?" I ask in a distasteful voice.

"That's what it looks like," said Henry in not a much nicer voice.

After we stare at the note for a minute, I realize it says to wake her up when he gets here. Meaning that she is asleep somewhere. _Oh please don't be in the cell Emma._

"She's in the cell," says henry.

We walk over to her not knowing what to say or if we should wake her, even though it's passed her birthday. Henry and I have just been kind of frozen staring at her not knowing what to do. That's when Emma turns to face us in her sleep. All I know is whatever I was expecting of today, I wasn't expecting to end the day having Emma turn towards us with tear streaks down her face, fast asleep.

"What did we do." I say in pure agony

"We all suck so bad." Henry said with tears and the saddest voice possible.

After a while we decided to go home and not have the sheriff wake up to having two people staring down at her pitifully. On the way home we talked about what would do about it tomorrow.

"We will tell her how sorry we are and then I will leave to go yell at those incessantly annoying parents of hers to give them a piece of my mind."

"Mom you do realize we all forgot not just them." He said looking at me

"Yes but they are her parents." I took a glance at henry then we continued the ride in silence.

 **-THE END-**

 **Unless you want me to write more? Tell me if you do! Or if you want any other fics! I will try!**


	2. the next morning

**So I got a lot of requests to continue and I didn't want to make you wait long. It isn't as long as the first chapter but some stuff did happen. There is some swearing and there will probably be more in the future.**

 **Thank you so much for the reviews! I love to hear them! Message me if you want!**

*Emma's POV*

I slowly started to wake up, not happy or sad, neutral really, that is until I fully woke up and realized I was lying in a jail cell because yesterday was the shittiest day of my life and everyone forgot it was my birthday. _You know what Emma you need to stop feeling sorry for yourself. Why do you even care? No one has ever celebrated your birthday before._ With that thought gracing me with its presence, I sat up on the bed getting physically ready to stand up.

"My parents should have remembered and so should have Regina and Henry," I whisper to myself as I lowered my head into my hands. _So apparently my mood is not going to improve for today. Guess I'll just have to fake it._

I stood up and looked at the clock, **8:32am** , I guess it's a good time as any to start the day. _Has my dad really not shown up yet? That's annoying._ I walk over to my desk and check my phone.

 **David: Almost there, ten minutes away.** _Sent 8:25am_

"Okay, so he should be here any minute." I stated to myself, there is no need to reply since he's so close. I put my phone down, sit at my desk and stare off into space because honestly I am not in the mood to do work right now. I am basically still dead to the world. _Okay, so today I don't start work until 8pm and I will be doing patrols most of the night since I did all my paper work last night. Well most of it. I won't really have to deal with people which is good. I don't know how I would react to seeing my family for long periods of time right now. I'm really hurt that they didn't remember. It's already over with, they can't really do anything to make it up to me anyways, they just have to live with it like I have my whole life._

While I was off in my own world of thinking, I didn't hear my dad walk into the office and start talking to me.

"EMMA!" he yelled and I jumped.

"duDEWHAT THE HELL? Why are you yelling, we are in the same room." I said confused and offended.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly, "I called your name like four times and you didn't answer, you seemed to be really spaced out or sleeping with your eyes open." He tried to crack a joke.

"Ha, yeah, no I was just spaced out." I say flatly not looking up, "So are you ready to work? I need to go get food." As I got up to grab my jacket from the hook and put it on, David followed me over there.

"Yeah, I'm ready. Hey, are you okay?" he asked tilting his head with his brow furrowed reaching out to touch my arm. _GREAT this again!_

I recoiled just out of reach so he couldn't touch me. It might have been a petty move but honestly who gives a shit. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little tired and majorly hungry." I walked back to my desk to grab my phone and keys, "I did a lot of paperwork last night so there isn't that much left to do, please try and finish that. Once you do," I say looking at him and walking backwards toward the door, "go ahead and check on Miss Goose, she called last night and said she needed someone to come down the next day." And with that I left the station not letting him get a word out. Once I was outside I let out a giant breathe I didn't realize I was holding. _Today is going to be a lot harder than I thought it was going to be_.

I honestly just want to go home and curl up on my bed to binge watch Fringe. _Maybe I'll buy some snacks at the store and do that until work tonight._ When I got into the diner I didn't really notice who all was in there, I was on a mission, go in and get my food to go and leave. Too bad life never works out for me.

"Hey Ems." Says Ruby.

"Hi, can I get grilled cheese and onion rings please. Oh and a hot chocolate to go." I said not really looking up. I use my phone as a way to avoid people, along with half the population. Ruby seemed to notice I wasn't in the mood to talk so she left to put in my order and didn't come back to chat. I continued scrolling through tumblr and wait for my food. The doorbell chimes, indicating a new customer but I'm not concerned with it until,

"Emma." The other mother of my son said. _Great, fake smile Emma, fake smile._

"Regina, hey!" I say smiling and turning towards her. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I was just coming to get me and henry breakfast, we are a little slow this morning because he was up late last night, so I let him stay home from school." Regina said sounding uncomfortable.

"Oh cool." _Please don't try and continue talking to me. I'm in a shittier mood than I was yesterday._

"Yeah, so listen-" she started to say but Ruby interrupted her with my food.

"Here you go Ems, enjoy!"

"Thanks," I say to ruby, "look, I had a really long night last night and I just want to go home to my own bed, can we have this conversation another time?" I ask with a sigh to Regina.

She looked down at her hands but then spoke, "Why was last night hard?" Regina was just trying to keep the conversation going, she felt really bad about yesterday but she didn't know how to bring up the fact that she found out it was Emma's birthday. Emma didn't know that though.

"Regina." I said sharply, "did you not just hear what I said?" I questioned confused.

"I did hear you sheriff, I'm not deaf." Regina started and then seemed to realize she lost her main goal, "I just thought we would be able to talk, but by all means dear, go home." She said and turned to face the counter and I got up and left, not having to be told twice. What Emma didn't see is how after she left the diner Regina put her head in her hands, trying to figure out why she just said what she did.

I left the diner in a worse mood than I was in, I honestly didn't think that it was possible. _Why couldn't I just get my food in peace? Did she honestly need to come up to me and start something? She could have just walked in and sat somewhere else, not next to me. I'm not happy here anymore. If it wasn't for Henry I would leave, but he has so much family here. It's good for him to be surrounded by the love he deserves._

*Third person POV*

What Emma didn't know was that Regina had gotten up and left the diner without ordering when Ruby asked her what she wanted. She couldn't leave things the way they ended, so she ran after Emma.

Emma was just sad with how her life has turned out, she doesn't understand why she wasn't important enough to have people remember her birthday. She remembers everyone else's. She spent weeks trying to figure out Regina's birthday because she is important to her. Finding out the former evil queen's birthday is not an easy task. A single tear escaped Emma's eye. She has been trying so hard not to let it happen, no one needs to see the savior cry, that wouldn't give many people hope.

"Hey!" Emma heard, she just assumed it wasn't meant for her. "Emma! Hey, slow down!" okay that is a little harder to dispute not being for her. She quickly wiped her face and turned around.

"What, Regina?" she asked exhausted.

Regina didn't miss Emma wiping her face before she turned, that didn't make her feel any better. "I-I need to talk to you." She stated.

"I said we could talk another day, I told you I was tired." _Does no one fucking care?_ She thought to herself.

"Yes I am aware of this Miss Swan." She stated obviously. "But I need to speak to you now."

"Fine." Emma said, getting tired of arguing with her. "Would you like to have the conversation in the middle of the sidewalk where we are, or would you like to finish walking to my house and have it there?" she finished in an annoyed voice.

"We can go to your house." Regina said simply and then they started to walk. It was quiet the whole way there since Regina knew that when she started talking she wouldn't be able to stop.

Emma enters the house first, she isn't really excited to have a guest here right now. She wants Regina to leave. She throws her keys on the table and sits her food down. Once she has all her food spread out and ready to eat she looks at Regina, "You wanted to talk, so talk." She said as she put an onion ring in her mouth.

Regina raised her eyebrows but decided it wasn't worth a fight, "How have you been?" she starts off simple thinking she can just ease into it.

"Really? That's what you are starting with? Honestly Madame Mayor, I know you well enough to know **that** is not why you are here." Emma is honestly just so tired. _Please just get to your point._

Regina looked taken aback when Emma called her Madame Mayor, that hasn't happened since the beginning of everything. "Madame Mayor?" Regina questioned Emma, "You know my name, use it."

"That's rich coming from you!? You call me sheriff or Miss Swan ALL THE TIME." She snapped and then added quietly so that only she could hear, "plus we obviously aren't as good friends as I thought."

Regina heard the beginning but tried hard to hear the rest and couldn't, "When was the last time I called you either of those, and honestly Emma speak up, it's not attractive to mumble."

Now Emma was getting pissed, "Seriously? You fucking called me Miss Swan not even an hour ago! And what should I care if it's attractive or not? I mumble because I want to, not to gain the attention of a person!" Emma lost her appetite so she pushed her food away from where she sat, "great, now I just wasted food. Why did you come here Regina I'm pretty sure it wasn't to just bicker?"

"You are correct. I came here to make sure you are okay." She said looking into Emma's eyes. Emma never broke eye contact.

"I'm fine." She said

"Like hell you are!" Regina through her hands in the air.

"Look who swears now," Emma said just to point it out, "and how are you going to tell me whether or not I'm actually fine? I think I know myself better than some lady that has known me for like five years."

"Some lady? That's who I am to you? No, we are friends, Emma! Stop trying to belittle it." Regina said desperately and on the edge of her seat so that she is closer to Emma.

"Fine, yeah, we are friends. That doesn't mean that you KNOW how I feel, Regina." Emma took a breath, "Honestly I don't know why you assume something is wrong. So if that is all you can go."

Regina was upset with how hurt Emma actually seems to be and she is mad at herself for not remembering her birthday. She just had to let it out.

"The reason that I assume you aren't okay, Emma, is because you're family and friends forgot your birthday yesterday." She tried to figure out what Emma was thinking but she couldn't tell. Emma was hiding her emotions really well. So she continued, "And when some of us remembered you were already asleep in the station." She said putting her head down in shame.

It took what felt like a few minutes for Emma to respond but when she did Regina knew Emma was hurt far more than she assumed she would be.

"It was just a birthday." Emma said with a shrug and a straight face while internally she was shattering.

"Just a-" Regina started confused.

"So if that was the reason that you came here, you just wasted your time and my own." Emma got up and started walking towards the front door. Regina realized she was supposed to follow so she did and when they got to the front door she saw Emma opening the door to let her out.

"Emma," she sighed.

"Regina, I'm tired. Leave." Emma said as she was looking anywhere but her face.

Regina walked out the door but once she was on the porch she turned back to Emma.

"You are obviously hur-" she started but got cut off by the door closing.

Feeling so much worse than she did this morning she left Emma alone for now so that she could get some sleep. She needs to go talk to someone's idiot parents anyways and maybe make a plan with Henry to get Emma to feel better.

 **Poor Emma T_T**

 **TADAAAA did ya like it? Tell me.**

 **Should I continue?**


	3. walls up

**Here you go! Chapter three! Thank you so much for the lovely reviews! I read all of them and if you want to talk you can message me!**

{Emma}

After I shut the door I started to head up to my room. I didn't have to be at work for a couple more hours so I could totally just relax until its time. I take off my pants and climb into bed with my remote to turn on Netflix. Once I am under my blanket and the show is playing in the background I start to think about everything. _Regina remembered. She just didn't remember at the right time. Now she is going to go and tell everyone and then I'll get all these pitying looks. I swear I will go off on someone. This is exactly what I was trying to avoid. Thanks a lot Regina, not like I'm already having a bad week._

{Regina}

I paused starring at the door for a few minutes, _I really wanted to walk back in there and shake some sense into Emma. I really wish I would have remembered sooner! She is so important to me, wait what, no she is important to Henry. Well she is my friend. I should have known it was her birthday!_ After that thought I stormed down her steps to my car and drove over to Miss hope speech's house to give her a piece of my mind.

"Okay, listen closely dear!" I stormed into snow's apartment without thinking about anything but how wrong it was for parents to forget their child's birthday.

"Regi-" she started with confusion written all over her face.

"No! You don't get to speak! Do you know what you have done?" I say as I march forward into her personal space. "How could you forget something so important, HA and not only did you forget! YOU went on a DATE, A DATE. WHO DOES THAT?" I was losing it, not even trying to contain my cool.

"Regina, what are you talking about?" she punctuated every word as if I was the stupid one.

"Oh yeah, that's right! You don't even remember!" I scream with wide eyes and when she just stares at me like I just asked her the hardest potion problem ever, I decided to continue. "Oh, you know, just YOU'RE DAUGHTERS BIRTHDAY WAS YESTERDAY AND YOU FORGOT!?"

"wha- no it wasn't, her birthday is-" snow stares at the calendar that she had walked over to with wide eyes and mouth wide open. "Oh my goodness. Emma, my sweet baby I am so sorry" she whispered to no one in particular.

"Yeah, Henry and I remembered too late. She was already asleep when we got there. It wasn't good snow." I say in defeat as I slouch down onto her couch.

"We asked her to work an extra shift on her birthday." She said in horror and disgust with herself.

"Yeah you did. No one seemed to have remembered, I don't know how this is possible."

"We have to do something! Throw her a party! Everyone needs to know!"

"I don't think that's the best idea, I went to see her and she is shutting down. Rubbing it in her face that we all forget by having everyone give her a party isn't the best plan, it will probably push her even farther away." I say with concern written all over my face.

"Oh, come on Regina," snow scoffs "She would love the party! We can throw her a surprise one!"

"No snow, she won't. You didn't see her face when I told her that I knew we missed her birthday. Promise me you won't do anything like that." I say as I walk over to snow.

"Yeah, fine." Snow said not meaning a word of it but Regina didn't know.

"Okay well you better find a way to make it up to her. I just hope for henry's sake she doesn't run."

"You think she will?"

"It is kind of her M.O." I say shrugging my shoulders and walking to the door to leave.

{Third person}

Snow went and told charming what Regina had told her. Charming was so upset he couldn't even stand, he had to walk to a chair and sit. He seemed to be more hurt by the fact that he forgot his only daughter's birthday. A lot more hurt than Snow did. He wants to apologize to her and explain how sorry he is but he doesn't know how he is supposed to do that. What can he say to his daughter that will make everything better?

Snow just seems to think that the best idea is to throw Emma a surprise party, even though Regina told her it was a bad idea. Snow obviously knows her daughter better than Regina. I mean she is her daughter. Regina and Emma have barely known each other. Snow knows that if there is any chance that his daughter will be unhappy Charming won't do it, so Snow lies to him.

"Charming, we have to make it up to her!" snow says desperately.

"How can we make up for something so horrible? We have no excuse." David said with teary eyes.

"I talked to Regina and she agreed throwing a surprise party for Emma is the best way!"

"Really? A surprise party? It doesn't sound like Emma's style one bit." He said questioning his wife.

"Regina told me that it was what Emma told her she has always wanted for all of her life! We just have to make it come true for her!" snow sounded desperate trying to convince him.

"Are you really sure it won't make her mad?" snow nodded to him. "I mean if you are sure that Emma said she wanted it then we most definitely must make it happen."

"perfect." Snow smiled to herself, she has always wanted to be able to throw a big party for Emma, and now is her only chance she is so excited!

{Emma}

I open my eyes to a dark room, _huh, must have fallen asleep._ I stretch in bed and then look at my clock, I need to be at work soon I should probably get ready.

Once I am out of bed and dressed I walk downstairs to my kitchen to eat a little snack. I haven't looked at my phone yet since I've woken up. Once I realize this I go and get it and look through my notifications:

 **Regina: Hey Emma.**

 **Regina: Are you still coming to dinner?**

 **Regina: you can't avoid me forever!**

 **Regina: we will talk about this.**

 **Henry: Hey Ma, I am really sorry I took so long to remember. I love you. I miss you. Please don't shut me out. Are you still coming to dinner? (Mom told me to ask in my text since you aren't answering hers.)**

 **Mary Margaret: SWEETIE! I can't believe I forgot I am so forgetful,lol. Love you darling xoxo!**

 **David: Hey, Emma. You don't have to come in to work today. I got your shift it's only fair.**

 **Regina: Emma, I'm really sorry.**

 **Regina: please answer.**

 **David: I'm so sorry. That's not even close to enough. Can we meet tomorrow, I would really like to talk to you in person. I can't do this over the phone. I do love you.**

 **Ruby: EMMA, YOU BITCH!**

 **Ruby: I totally told you I thought it was an important day and you didn't say anything : (**

 **Ruby: why didn't you say anything! Ugh, I'm a horrible friend please forgive me emma!**

 **Ruby: I really hope you are sleeping and not avoiding me because I will find you and talk to you**

Emma froze.

 _Oh no. Regina told everyone. I thought she would wait. Why did I think that oh my god I am so stupid? Great. What the fuck Mary Margaret? She doesn't even seem upset. Whatever she shouldn't. It wasn't that important. Time to reply._

 **Emma to Henry: Hey kid, I love and miss you too. 3 Its okay you got a busy life and you are just a kid. I know you are sorry. I am not mad at you and I'm not pushing you away. I must have fallen asleep, sorry I missed dinner. Maybe you can come here for dinner soon.**

 _What the fuck do I even say to my mom? Okay let's give this a try._

 **Emma to MM: lol, yeah. Totally okay.**

 _Good enough. Okay David is at least sincere. Always knew I was a daddy's girl._

 **Emma to David: Thanks, sorry I was asleep. Just lost track of time.**

 **Emma to David: yeah we can talk tomorrow. Just you though, okay?**

 _Okay ruby is a little pissed. Understandable I guess._

 **Emma to Ruby: Sorry rubes, I was asleep. Not avoiding. And honestly because it's not a big deal. Don't worry.**

Emma sat there staring at her phone. She didn't know how to answer Regina. For some reason it hurt the most and she got lost in thought.

 **{At Regina's house}**

After Regina sent all of her messages, not caring that she was spamming the sheriff's phone she went to go make dinner. Henry was sitting at the kitchen counter with his phone in his hand.

"Hello darling."

"Hey mom," He said sadly which gave Regina pause.

"What's wrong?"

"I haven't seen Ma all day."

"She's at her house. She told me she was going to rest before work."

"You went and saw her? How was she? Is she okay?" his eyes big with concern.

Regina didn't know how to tell Henry that his other mother is reverting because of this.

"Henry," Regina said gently, "Emma is hurt right now, but it will be okay. I went to your grandparents and gave them a piece of my mind so they should be figuring something out."

"She probably hates me," he said looking down.

"No, she could never hate you. She loves you waaaay to much for that darling. I promise you that." After a few moments of silence Regina thought it was best to continue talking. "I texted her, but I don't know if she will be coming. I haven't gotten a response."

"Maybe I should try texting her!" he said pulling up his and Emma's conversation in his phone.

"Well when you do make sure to ask her if she is coming to dinner," and then added under her breath, "and if she's alive." After he sent the message they started to make dinner.

An hour later henry's phone went off and they both looked at it.

"ITS EMMA!" henry shouts way louder than necessary but for a good reason.

"Oh, what did she say?" Regina said trying to not sound hurt that she hasn't gotten a reply yet.

"That she isn't mad at me and she loves me and that she won't make it to dinner because she just woke up, but that she hopes I can-" Henry pauses.

"You can what?" Regina asks intrigued.

"She hopes that I can go there for dinner soon." He finishes confused that Emma doesn't want to come to this house to eat. It's kind of been a tradition. He looks up at his mom and doesn't miss the way that her face scrunches up and she slouches into her chair.

"oh." Is all that Regina said.

"I'm sure she meant we not just me." He said with a smile. "Ma loves your cooking and you guys have become friends. She was just sleepy and you know how Emma texts."

"Yeah, I'm not so sure about that sweetie." Regina jabs at her food and smiles small. _Why hasn't she texted me back yet._

And with that they finished eating their dinner and then henry went to his room to play video games while Regina cleaned up the kitchen while pouring herself a glass of wine.

{Emma's house}

 _It's been an hour since I responded to everyone except Regina. Everyone has messaged me back and we are "fine" for now. I don't know what to say to her. She told EVERYONE. I didn't want this. If I don't respond to her she will poof up at my house and I really don't want to deal with that._

 **Emma: you told everyone.**

 _2 minutes later_

 **Regina: Oh, look who decided to respond hours after they responded to our son.**

 **Regina: and what are you talking about?**

 **Emma: what do you mean what am I talking about? You told everyone! I woke up to everyone saying sorry. Why couldn't you stay out of it.**

 **Regina: To be fair I only told your mother.**

 **Emma:**

 **Regina: point taken. She told everyone didn't she?**

 **Emma: apparently**

 **Regina: why didn't you come to dinner, you told Henry on your birthday that you would.**

 **Emma: I fell asleep.**

 **Regina: You could have told me before you went to sleep that you weren't coming**

 _5 minutes later_

 **Regina: Why do I feel like you are mad at me the most?**

 **Emma: I'm not, everything is fine.**

 **Regina: Emma come on.**

 **Emma: what do you want Regina?**

 **Regina: for you to accept my apology from earlier today.**

 **Emma: already did that**

 **Regina: not for real you didn't**

 **Emma: how are you going to tell me whether or not my forgiveness was real?**

 **Regina: because the fact that you are shutting me out right now proves it.**

 **Emma: okay, bye Regina. I'm done with this conversation.**

 **Regina: No. You. Are. Not. Do not think that I won't show up at your house in an instant, because I will.**

 _5 minutes pass._

 **Regina: Emma seriously.**

 _10 more minutes pass_

 **Regina: THAT'S IT.**

Emma is walking around her house doing little things not paying attention to where she is walking when she bumps into a figure appeared from purple smoke and falls to the ground dropping the things she picked up to put away.

"GOD DAMN IT REGINA WHAT THE FUCK?" Emma winced at the pain in her wrist from trying to break her fall.

"Sorry," she at least had the decency to look sorry for colliding into Emma, "but you weren't answering my messages. I did warn you." She said putting a hand out to help her up, but Emma refused.

"Just because I don't answer your messages doesn't give you the right to come barging into my fucking house whenever you want to." Emma said all the while standing up and picking up the things she dropped on the floor.

"Well what else was I supposed to do? Just let you ignore me? I don't think so." The brunette said folding her arms.

"You could have, I don't know, waited until I responded!" Emma put her arms out in front of her like it was the most obvious answer. "I don't appreciate you invading my house like this. It's rude."

"Emma, seriously? You have never been mad at me doing it before, what's so different about this time?" she ended with a smile thinking she caught Emma in a trap to tell her that she is pissed at Regina.

"Maybe things have changed. I don't want you doing that shit after I tell you I am done with a conversation. It isn't fair-"

"You could do it to me, I wouldn't care. So technically it is fair." Regina is trying to push Emma's buttons trying to get her to open back up.

"REGINA FUCKING STOP!" she screamed with her eyes closed and each hand on the temples of her head. Regina froze. She swore she heard Emma's voice waver and not from excitement. She can't tell if she is crying though because she has her eyes closed.

"Emma, just talk to me." She says gently

"Why?" Emma says starting in a breathy voice into a strong one. "Why should I talk to you? There is no reason. Just leave me the fuck alone."

"There is a-" Regina started slowly

"NO THERE ISNT! Okay? There isn't a reason. It's just a stupid fucking birthday I am one year older whoopdeefuckingdoo! There is no sentimental meaning behind my birthday! I promise you I have been to it every year okay? I'm used to not celebrating it. I don't need a party, I don't need friends, I don't need a family, and I sure as hell don't need people telling me happy birthday because to be honest my birthday is the worst day in the whole fucking year and it sure the hell isn't the happiest. So please don't tell me that there is a reason because you would just be fucking lying to me. Just go back home and stop bothering me." The whole time Emma was going off, without meaning to say any of it, she was walking towards Regina and getting in her face jabbing her finger at her. But little did she know is that this is what Regina was trying to push Emma to do. She needed to make her so mad that she didn't realize she was letting slip how she really felt. What Regina didn't know is how much Emma was actually thinking and how Emma would react to accidentally revealing all of that information, but she was about to find out.

Both of the women's eyes were glossed over from emotion and as Regina was about to speak, Emma seemed to have realized what she just spoke out loud and all of the color from her face drained. She wouldn't make eye contact and she recoiled into herself with her arms hugging her own body.

"Emma." Regina said gently and Emma mumbled something that was too fast and quiet to hear.

"Emma," she repeated while trying to step closer to her but the blonde recoiled farther and said the thing she mumbled earlier a little louder so it was heard.

"Get. Out." Not making eye contact she backed away farther.

"Can we just talk please Emma, it's okay." Regina rushed out, trying to show Emma it was okay.

"Get OUT." She got louder.

Regina still not ready to leave started walking towards Emma, "Emma, please, let's talk!" she added desperately.

"GET OUT!" she screamed. And when Regina was just standing still she repeated it. "GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HOUSE NOW!"

"Emma," she doesn't want to leave her like this.

"NOW!" she wouldn't make eye contact but she can get her to leave by standing in front of her and grabbing her shoulders and walking towards the door.

"Emma, I-I, please. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pushed, let's just talk. You shouldn't be alone when you are like this." She tried to get Emma to make eye contact as she was walking backwards, but Emma wasn't having it she just kept pushing Regina to the door. "Emma, talk to me, please!" she was desperate, "At least look at me!" she didn't get anything just the continuous push to the door. Eventually they got to the door and Emma let go of her and opened the door expecting Regina to leave, but of course she was stubborn and wouldn't just go.

"Get out, now." She said in an emotionless voice but did make eye contact for a second.

Regina gave pleading eyes in the moment, she was almost in tears.

"Emma we have to talk! Don't do this. Stop shutting me out please!"

When Regina still didn't move, Emma walked over to Regina again and grabbed her shoulders the same way. Only this time Regina put her hands on Emma too. She started by just trying to get her balance when Emma started walking her backwards out the door by grabbing her hips, then she moved to Emma's shoulders trying to push back into the house because she really didn't want to leave. Emma refuses to make eye contact with Regina during this time, so Regina moves her hands to Emma's cheeks.

"Emma, please just talk to me or look at me. Please, j-just stop this!" Regina was panicking but too soon was she standing on Emma's front porch. Too soon Emma was pushing Regina's hands off her face and walking back into the house.

The last words Regina heard before the door slammed shut in her face once more were, "Leave me the hell alone." And that's when Regina let the first tear slip out before she poofed herself to her bed at her house.

 **AAAAAAH EMMA IS SO SAD I CANT why do I do this to myself the ANGST soooo much. I love it! I hate how Snow is just thinking about herself.  
DADDY CHARMING FO LIFE! **

**I honestly love ff where emma shuts down and regina notices and tries to stop it from happening.**

 **Tell me what you think!**


	4. pushing away

**Hello you amazing people! I didn't think this many people would read my fanfictions, so thank you so fricken much. You guys are all wonderful! Keep your reviews coming, I enjoy them immensely!**

 **If you have any ideas you want me to write about go ahead and say it in a review or message me.**

 **I just recently made a sq Instagram account, confused_swanqueen**

 **Djhrse;ljfdslk**

 **Ok here goes another chapter!**

Emma was reverting into how she used to act before she found her family. She felt replaceable and she really just wanted people to leave her alone. She never wanted to tell Regina any of the things she said when she was pushed past the breaking point. Her inner most thoughts about how she feels about her birthday and self-worth. One thing she is happy she didn't blab about when she was going on and on is her experiences she had while in the homes.

After she physically had to push Regina away and out of her house, Emma finally broke. She basically ran into the kitchen to try and clean, but ended up breaking a few plates as she threw them into the sink. She slammed her fist against the counter trying to stop herself from feeling upset. Feeling a little better from the destruction she grabbed the nearest thing to her, which was a glass cup, and hurled it at the wall not thinking of the mess she was making. Once it hit the wall, she let out an unrecognizably sad scream and fell to her knees on the floor. She ended up moving to a sitting position against her counter with her arms on her knees and her head in her lap. Finally she just let all her emotions out in the privacy of her own home, where no one could judge or pity her. Emma just kept thinking:

 _Why, why, why, why. What is wrong with me!_

Along with all the things she has been told while in foster care

 _You're worthless_

 _No one cares about you_

 _You are a piece of garbage, that's why your parents left you on the side of the road_

 _You aren't special_

 _We only got you for the money_

 _I don't need you_

 _Too bad no one cares that it's your birthday_

 _I bet they wouldn't even care if they were here_

"Get out of my head, get out of my head!" Emma said as she rocked back and forth holding her head.

"You don't know anything! You guys never took care of me! Why won't you just leave me alone! I'm finally free of you!"

After about half an hour, Emma got up and went to the bathroom to clean herself up and calm down. She finally started to feel the pain in her hand where she hit the counter and saw that it was bruising, while she was pulling the shower curtain open. She spent longer than usual in the shower, just staring at the water in the tub, or at the wall. Sometimes her eyes weren't even open, she just kind of stood there, blank. Once the water started to get cold, is when she decided to get out of the shower and go to her room to get ready for bed.

Entering the room with a blank face she put on a comfy sweater and pulled her comforter back to get into her bed. Emma was so drained by everything that happened the past two days and she just wants to sleep forever. It took her a little while to fall asleep but right as her eyes closed and her exhaustion took over, she heard a faint ding of her phone, but she was too far gone to even care.

{Regina}

Materializing onto her bed, she felt like she failed Emma. She had no idea how to fix this one mistake that made the blonde savior so broken. With her hands resting on her forehead she stared up at the ceiling in sadness, anger and frustration.

"Ugh! What do I do!" she said as she slammed her fists down on the bed next to her with a hurt expression.

She didn't really realize that she said it as loud as she did, but as soon as she heard a faint knock on her door she figured it out.

"Mom?" she heard a quiet question followed by the slow opening of a door.

"Yes sweetie?" Regina said trying to get her voice to not sound as if she was crying.

Henry rushed into the room and crawled on the bed next to his mother. It was obvious that he heard the difference in her voice because his face was full of concern.

"Are you okay? What happened?"

"Uh, I just had a bad day, that's all." She told him which wasn't technically wrong. It felt like it was the worst day of her life.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he started and when his brunette mother didn't answer he continued, "Did you go see Emma again?"

"You're not giving me a choice anymore? Now I have to talk about it?" she said with a sad smirk.

"Well," he stated with a small smile and shrug, "you are going to have to talk to someone about it eventually. Might as well be me since I'm already here."

"I guess you have some good points," she gave him a glare that didn't have as much threat in it as it could have. "I did go see her, but at first I was just text messaging her."

"Texting." He blurted.

"What?" she said confused.

"You can just call it texting," he said explaining, "you don't have to add the messa- you know what, not the point. Please continue." He finished once he saw his mom's 'are you really trying to teach me a lesson right now' face.

"Anyways," she said with a slightly amused pointed look to Henry. "We were texting and she stopped replying for a while, but I wasn't done talking so I poofed over there to finish our conversation. What?" she finished after seeing her son's disapproving look.

"You poofed **_in_** her house?"

"Yes."

"Not on her porch and then knocking, you went full on into her house?"

"Yes?" she answered not too proud of what she did now that she is hearing it herself. "To be fair," she started defending herself, "I have done it before, as has she to come here, it's not like it was a new thing. The fact that she got mad about it proves that she is mad at me still."

"Mom," he said giving her a 'seriously?' face, "Do you really think that justifies what you did? Just because you have done it before doesn't mean that when she is hurt or mad she will be okay with you doing it." His face softened when he saw his mom look down into her hands.

"That's why I had to do it though," she started quietly then grew more passionate, "She wasn't replying, and I hate that she just decided the conversation was over when CLEARLY it wasn't even close to finished."

"You have been around her long enough to know not to push her to talk! Let her come to you or go to her, but don't POOF into her house. Give her a choice mom." He scolded his mother, but he understood her reasoning too. She didn't want Emma to shut down completely. She wanted Emma to be okay just like he does.

"She needed to talk though, she just keeps letting it bottle up and that's not healthy! Letting it out is something that needed to happen, even if she hates me after at least I know she let some out."

Henry finally caught up with what she said, "Wait she talked to you about it?"

"Not really by choice," she said slowly and uncomfortable. "I kind of pushed her until she broke."

"MOM!" Henry yelled will putting his head in his hands.

"It was the only way she would say anything! I didn't realize she would get so mad and shut off more!" she explained to him.

"What did you think was going to happen!? She would just say 'oh thanks Regina! I love it when people push me into revealing things about myself that I was hiding. I don't know what I'd do without you, want to stay for a drink?'" he asked rhetorically.

"Well I mean it wouldn't have hurt…" she said under her breath but Henry heard her. "Of course I didn't think she would be okay with it, but sometimes you have to let someone be mad at you to get them to feel better. I just wasn't expecting the way she reacted is all." She finished thinking back to the way Emma just pushed her to and out of the door.

"How did she react?" he asked worriedly

Regina hesitated on telling him because it is his other mother, but she decided to.

"She made me leave, not before she screamed at me and then stopped talking to me in all, except for telling me to leave." Pausing a moment before continuing, "Let's just say it's not the loveliest memory I have of your mother." She said with a scrunched nose and furrowed eyebrows.

"Oh." At Henry's short answer she looked up at him and realized he was close to tears.

"Oh sweetie, don't worry it'll be okay. She is just having a hard time." Regina said rubbing his back before pushing his hair out of his face. "I'm sure she can't wait to see you though. I'll schedule another dinner with her tomorrow if I see her okay?"

"Yeah, I just feel really bad. I know she said she forgives me, but she remembers everyone's birthdays and little things we tell her. Remember how I told her randomly that I never got to see the hobbit movies? Then that weekend we had a Lord of the Rings marathon AND the Hobbit movies. She shrugged it off like she didn't do anything, but that was a really good few days. Oh! And the time she made sure to tell Leroy to stop sitting in the spot you like at the diner, you didn't even have to tell her for her to get him to move so you could sit there."

"She did that?" she asked in confusion and awe.

"Oops.. I just assumed you knew. Don't tell her I told you." He said a little guilty.

"Don't worry I won't." she replied with a little smile. "I know she does a lot for everyone and doesn't take credit for it. And yes I know we messed up big time with forgetting this very important day, but we are human. We make mistakes and Emma may take a minute to forgive me, her parents and whoever she finds dear in this town, but she will never stay mad at you darling, she loves you way too much, and plus you are a child, she hardly assumes you will remember a birthday that isn't yours, let alone what you ate yesterday for lunch."

Henry looked offended for a minute but then tried to think of what he had for lunch the day before and kept quiet on the subject.

"She loves you and grandma and grandpa too, not just me." He started not really noticing that what he said made his mom blush. "Maybe I will make one of the nights I stay at her house a 'do whatever Emma wants to do' day."

"That sounds lovely." She said with a smile.

Knowing it will make his mom react he says, "So we will eat junk food all day and watch R rated movies."

"Henry Daniel Mills, you will do NO such thing. No matter how much older you are getting, you are NOT 18 yet!" when she saw him start to smile she squinted her eyes, "That was not funny at all."

"It was kinda funny." He giggled. After a few moments of silence she saw Henry yawn.

"Okay, off to bed my sweet prince," henry started to open his mouth to argue. "No excuses, you are going to school tomorrow and it's already 9." She said with raised eyebrows.

"Fine, Goodnight. I love you." He said walking out of the room.

"Goodnight, I love you too."

With that Henry was back in his room and Regina was thinking about what happened earlier that evening. She thought about what Henry said about it not being right for her to barge in when she knew that Emma was mad and upset. When she got up to get ready for bed, every time that she passed her phone she thought about grabbing it to message Emma. When she walked to her dresser to get her lotion she almost went through with it, but chickened out at the last moment and basically ran away from her phone into the bathroom.  
"You are a grown woman, just text her if you want to!" she mumbled angrily to herself.

She grabbed her phone and walked back to her bed. Staring at her phone, that is what she was doing. She was just staring at the open messages between her and Emma trying to build up the courage to say something. Her fingers were hovering over the touch screen searching for the right thing to put when she finally typed.

 **Regina: I regret how I handled the situation earlier.**

 **Regina: I am sorry for pushing you. Can we talk?**

After she sent those messages she let go of a deep breath she didn't realize that she was holding. Several minutes had passed since she sent the messages, but she was still laying on her side with her phone in front of her face moving her finger on the screen every time the screen started to darken. She didn't want to miss if Emma started to type, and then decided not to reply. That was one of two reasons she wasn't answering, that or she was asleep.

Regina was starting to fall asleep, but at the last minute she remembered what she was doing and she jerked awake.

"This is no use, she must be asleep." She mumbled in a sleepy sad voice.

After setting her phone on the side table next to her bed on the charger, she drifted off to sleep not sure if she is ready for the next day.

{Emma}

8:30a.m.

Starting to wake up she made a grumpy face that only meant one thing, and that is that she did not want to be waking up. An alarm wasn't going off so it was just her body waking her up. It probably had something to do with the fact that she had to pee like a race horse.

"Ugggggggh." She whined rolling onto her stomach with her face stuffed into the pillow. Not that rolling over helped, it actually made it worse. "Fuck," she said as she sat up and rubbed her face.

Emma isn't a morning person at all, but her body was. It was always waking her up way earlier than she would prefer. She can't remember the last time she woke up in double digit time. While she was thinking about how lovely it would be to just sleep until noon, she went to the bathroom and did her morning routine brushing her teeth, cleaning her face, brushing her hair and putting on make-up. After, she went to her room to get dressed realizing she hasn't checked her phone yet. Once she was dressed she grabbed her phone and walked downstairs to put coffee on. She completely forgot about the mess she made, but she was too busy unlocking her phone and reading the messages she has from Regina to see it. Slipping on the glass she fell, throwing her phone and using her arms to catch herself when she hit the floor.

"AAAH FUCK MY LIFE!" she hisses. _Why me?_ She thinks to herself and if there weren't glass under her she would just lay on the ground for a while. Seeing as there was glass though she got up and brushed herself off. Luckily when she checked she didn't break her phone, not even a little scratch on the screen. The same could not be said for her arms, there was blood dripping down from multiple little cuts.

By the time she got off the floor it was 9:30, which is way too early for house guests. So why was someone knocking on the door right now. As she walked to the door she was using a wet towel to wipe the blood off of her arms. When she got to the door she was too distracted by her arms that she didn't look out to see who it was, before opening the door. When she saw who it was she was confused, yet did she really think kicking her out would make her stay away. She wished, but she also knew better.

"Before you shut the- WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO YOU?" Regina was going to start explaining why she was there but then saw all the blood and lost it.

Not really sure if it was worth fighting over this, Emma decided to just go with the truth.

"I fell on glass, I'm fine." She said turning to walk back into the kitchen, again not really thinking.

"Of course you are," Regina scoffed. "It's not like you are bleeding everywhere or anything."

"If you don't like the sight of blood, you could, I don't know, maybe leave?" the blonde said in an annoyed voice while dabbing a cut.

"That's not the part I have a problem with." She paused for a moment looking around, "I have a problem with the fact that you literally always say you're fine." She sees the glass on the floor and the glass in the sink. Realizing what happened makes her feel more guilt than she did before.

"Why did you come here? I assume you have an actual reason, besides to annoy me." Emma says not changing her voice and not looking away from her arm.

"Yeah, I have a reason." She says getting distracted by the look of pain Emma was showing as she pulled a shard of glass out of the wound. When Emma looked up because she stopped talking and gave her a 'care to elaborate' look she added, "Henry is worried about you and wanted me to ask you to come for dinner tonight, since you missed the last one."

"Oh, well since I missed the last one." She said in a sarcastic tone. "I'll talk to henry again. I know he probably thinks I'm mad at him even though I told him I wasn't." she ended seriously. When Regina didn't get up to leave she added, "Is that all, your majesty."

Regina knew that she was calling her that to get her to want to leave so she clenched her jaw and said, "No that's not all and you know it dear. We have a conversation to finish, someone ended it quite briefly the last time."

"Really not in the mood." Emma said dismissively, "Plus, kinda busy at the moment. So please go and well, I mean, I guess never come back would be the best possible scenario, but knowing you it isn't one so just leave and come back later."

"Emma, I can help with the cuts. That's not a reason for me to have to leave. If anything it's a reason for me to stay and help." Regina stated seriously.

"Are you kidding me? How many times are you going to keep me hostage in my own home?"

"As many as it takes for you to finally get your head out of your ass and talk to me!" the brunette snapped, realizing it was the complete wrong thing to do she back tracked. "I just want you to talk to me, I know you are mad at me and your parents still about forgetting your birthday. It's understandable."

When Emma didn't respond and just kind of lost any emotion in her face like she did yesterday Regina continued, not knowing what was going to happen.

"We should have known Emma. You are important to all of us, when Henry and I realized what the day was we felt like horrible people and rushed to your house but you weren't here. So by the time that we got to the station you were already asleep." Regina got up and started to walk over to where Emma was.

"It's fine, Regina." Emma said as if it was a mantra.

"As much as you say that word, I doubt any of the times you say it you actually mean it." She stated like an angry revelation.

Emma just kind of gave her a dirty look that said 'Back off' but Regina didn't care. Well she did but she wanted to get through to Emma.

"Don't give me that look, you act as if you don't know me. Like I would just back down because the savior wants me to." Regina scoffed and walked a little closer. Not so close to take away personal space but enough to feel like the conversation was real.

Emma adds a little space between them to walk over to the sink and put the towel down since she finished cleaning the cuts. Now she can magic the cuts gone, the only problem is when she did, she forgot about the fact that she punched a counter and didn't fix that as well.

"What do you want me to say?" she asked dejectedly. Emma is tired of fighting with Regina and she wasn't ready for this morning's ambush.

"I want you to say what is going on in your head and not keep it in there until you explode or run away."

"Is that what you think of me?" Emma looked hurt but mostly she looked pissed. "You still think that I'm just going to wake up one day and just decide I don't want to be here and I'll just leave my son?"

"That's not what I meant and it's our son." Regina didn't mean to say the part about running away but somehow it slipped. "But you have done it before," She added carefully.

"Really? You think so little of me. Good to know." She was back to being detached, "Using an example from the first year I was here and people were trying to convince me of fairytales. Great. So much for thinking we were friends." Emma added the last part just as annoyed but a lot quieter. Regina almost didn't hear it.

"Emma, of course we are friends!" she said exasperatedly.

"Obviously not!" she yelled, "You just assume I would get up and leave my son here!? Are you kidding me? You must not know me at all!"

"It's OUR son. I know that you are hurt and scared! I know that you used to run when you felt those emotions, how was it not a plausible thing for me to jump to?"

"Because as you said, USED TO. I haven't ran for 7 fucking years!" Emma screamed to the point you could see the vain in her forehead and her face was turning red in anger.

"You're right, I'm sorry. We got off topic again. I don't know why I said the thing about you running, but it was said and I can't take it back. Let's move on." She said a lot more calm than she was a second ago.

"Yeah, how about we just don't continue. You seem to just me making this worse," She spit the words at Regina.

Regina was so confused, she doesn't understand why Emma is so mad at her. It's understandable to be hurt but Emma is furious with her and she doesn't get it. If she were Emma's parents then yes, she gets that, but Regina is just her friend.

"Why," she started but her emotions got the best of her. "Why are you so mad at me? Is this even about your birthday anymore, because you know I'm sorry about that." Emma just leaned over the counter and put her head in her hands and let out a deep breath without responding verbally. "Emma, I really don't understand. Please just talk to me!"

"Of course you don't understand. Why would you?" Emma said in a quiet voice.

"Why won't you just tell me?"

"BECAUSE!" she said in a loud voice that sounded as if she was about to cry as she stood up. "You wouldn't understand! I don't even fucking know if I do okay! Everything just got so fucked up and I don't know how to move pass this."

Regina looked at her in a little shock surprised by the volume and the fact that she is replying, but then she realized she should probably respond.

"How do you know if I will understand? You haven't even tried to explain it to me once. You just shut me out whenever I bring it up!" Regina spoke.

"Well apparently it's what I do best."

"Stop it, that's not what I meant," Regina scolded.

"You sure don't seem to mean a lot of the things you say. Maybe you should say less," Emma snapped and Regina rose her eyebrows.

"Now you're just being snappy and trying to piss me off so I will leave. It won't happen, I took off work for this."

"Why the hell would you do that?" Emma asked the brunette as if she had just killed someone.

"Because I needed to talk to you," Regina stated simply.

"UGH, can't you just leave me alone like the rest of the world or population?!"

"Because I'm stubborn," she tried to be sassy but when she didn't see a change in Emma's face she gave a serious answer. "Because you aren't disposable, Emma, I value our friendship and I hate that you hate me, even though it is for a good reason. I am a horrible choice for a friend."

Emma has been calming down since they both started talking and not yelling at each other.

"I don't hate you," Emma said in a mumble.

"What?" Regina said annoyed because she thought it was something rude, which is understandable considering the conversation they have been having.

"I said, I don't hate you."

"o-oh," she said ashamed of her tone before. "Sorry I assumed you were calling me a bitch or something." That got a smirk out of Emma. _That's more like it,_ Regina thought.

"Nope. Not this time." The blonde said and then started walking towards her stairs.

"Where do you think you are going!?"

"The. Bathroom… I just drank two cups of coffee and I pee a lot in the morning." She stated as she hopped up the stairs.

"Oh, you didn't have to tell me all that information. The bathroom would have sufficed."

"You asked!" she yelled from the hallway upstairs causing a smile to grace the former evil queen's face for the first time since Emma's birthday.

 **It might be a weird place to stop, but I am so tired. I might write more tomorrow when I wake up. I am obsessed with this story! Tell me what you think please!**

 **Follow my insta confused_swanqueen if you wanna.**


	5. the voice in your head

**Your reviews give me life! Thank you so much! I love you all! I'm sorry I don't have a regular update schedule, but I'm at university and homework sucks.**

 **Like always once everything seems like it is going smoothly something pops up and makes it go away.**

The tension seemed to be broken after Emma came back downstairs once she was done in the bathroom. Regina was relieved that she wasn't kicked out yet so she just let things happen the way they were for now. She knew she was going to have to bring the subject up again eventually, but she really just missed being around Emma without her stonewalling or yelling at her. They started talking about work as soon as she came back down because Regina asked her if she picked up another shift at the station. In which Emma replied that her dad took her shift the other night and she wasn't really sure if he was taking tonight as well. So she texted David a simple message since now that she thought about it she wanted to know.

 **Emma: Hey, am I working tonight or you?**

She got an almost instant message, as if he was just staring at his phone waiting for her to message.

 **David: Hello! Do you want to work?**

 **Emma: up to you.**

 **David: I can take your shift again.**

 **Emma: okay**

 **David: can we still meet up, I really want to see you.**

When Emma read this message her face scrunched up and she closed her eyes.

"What just happened?" Regina asked because the whole time Emma has been messaging her father she has been watching her.

Emma let go of a deep breath and her shoulders slumped but she didn't open her eyes. "Why?" Is all she replied with, which confused Regina.

"What do you mean why?"

"Why does it matter to you?" Emma asked opening her eyes staring at the other woman with a blank face.

"Oh," the brunette started, "so whoever you are texting, I'm assuming your dad, said something and now you are going back to how you were acting earlier. I see." Regina felt disappointed that their time talking as if nothing was wrong ended so suddenly, but she already missed it.

Emma didn't dignify the question with an answer, she just started moving around tidying her house up as Regina sat there.

"Are you going to come to dinner tonight? Henry really wants to see you." Regina decided to try and guilt her into going, since it seemed to be the only way it might possibly happen.

Emma stopped what she was doing to look up at Regina. When she was met with a desperate look she sighed and said, "What time?"

That made the brunette smile, "You can come around 5, so that you can spend time with Henry before dinner."

"Okay." She stated and as an afterthought she added, "And can we just act normal? Stop trying to get under my skin it will only piss me off and then I will leave. Believe me."

"I'll do my best."

"Fine, but can you go? I have stuff to do today." The blonde asked her but even though it was a question she wasn't really asking.

"Really?" she asked raising an eyebrow, "you aren't just trying to get me to leave?"

"No, but even if I was, why would it matter?" came an emotionless response which had Regina sighing and standing up to go.

"Fine, I'll leave. But if you don't show up to dinner tonight expect me to show up in your house."

"Don't doubt it, it seems like a second nature to you." She said with a sarcastic smile plastered on her face.

Making eye contact the whole time she spoke and Regina said, "Bye Emma."

Emma got a little uncomfortable with the contact so she looked down at her hands, "Bye."

With that Emma was alone in her house again to think about everything that has happened in the past few days. She is really surprised when she realized that she hasn't gotten her message from Lily that she gets every year. She wasn't sure if she could get the visit since Lily has been off learning about being a dragon and stuff, but lily has always been the one person who understood what she went through on her birthdays. They never had the unconditional love, the presents, and the happiness for being alive. They pretty much hated everything about birthdays so they made a pact to always be there for the other on their birthdays since no one else cared enough to try. There had to be a good reason for there to be no message. That is the one thing that she has faith in, the fact that Lily would never forget her birthday. She hopes the other girl is okay, maybe she should check in on her later but right now she has something she needs to get over with.

After sending David a text saying that she is good to meet now if he wanted, she got a response to meet him at the station. Once she got to the station she wasn't surprised to see that she and her father were the only two people there. He must have sent Grumpy and Hook home early. David was staring at the paper on his desk when she entered and he was really into it so she had to initiate the conversation.

"Hey."

"Oh, Emma hi! Sorry I didn't hear you come in." he said in a rush as he shuffled the papers around on his desk and stood.

"It's okay." She hasn't really been in the mood for talking since her birthday. A switch in her just kind of turned off with her emotions to everyone.

"So how are you?" he started but with seeing his daughters face he decided to change the idea of small talk. "Yeah, okay I understand, small talk probably isn't the best idea." He pauses and scratches his head, "Okay, Emma, I know I messed up with not remembering your birthday. I am so sorry. I wish there was a way I could take it back. You are my little princess and you deserve everything in this world, and I failed in giving you the simplest thing, a happy birthday." The more he spoke the harder it was to control his emotions. He walked closer to Emma, he was basically standing right in front of her. She was looking down with her arms crossed, hugging herself. "I understand if it takes you a while to forgive me. I take this fault as my own and I'll have to live with myself. I just really hope that one day you will forgive me because if not it's going to be a very sad life for me. I'll never stop trying to be in your life, even if all I get from you is annoyed looks or being yelled at by you. It's worth it. I have no excuse for why I forgot and I am beating myself up every day thinking about it, because honestly what kind of father forgets." David was so mad at himself for hurting his little girl. She meant everything to him. He didn't notice right away that the reason that her eyes were focused on the floor was because she had tears in them. Her emotions were getting the better of her.

"You mean that?" she whispered barely audible.

"What sweetheart?" he asked stepping forward.

"You really mean that even if I didn't forgive you, that you would still try everyday no matter what?"

"Of course!" he said full of emotion, "I would probably annoy you with how much I would try and talk to you, but I would _never_ give up on having you in my life. You're my little girl Emma. No one can replace you." He finished with tears in his eyes and his hands on her shoulders looking straight into her eyes. That's all it took for Emma to lose it, she crashed into him with tears streaming down her face. At first charming was shocked, he hadn't expected her to even finish the conversation with him, let alone hug him. After the initial shock, he wrapped his arms around his angel like it was the last time he would ever have the chance. "Emma," he whispers after he kisses her forehead. "I love you so much, I will do everything to make this pain go away for you." He felt Emma squeeze him harder in the hug as if she was scared she was going to wake up and he would disappear. "I know I wasn't there for most of your life, but now you are stuck with me because I plan on seeing the rest of it from the front row." He can feel her shaking from crying and it hurts his heart to know that his baby feels this agony. He wants to make everything better, he just wishes he knew how to.

"Okay," is all Emma replies, but it's enough for David because at least he knows she listened.

"Okay." He repeated and then they stayed hugging in the station until Emma finally pulled away. There was no way in hell David was going to be the first to separate them. Emma shrugged her shoulders kind of like she was trying to shake off her emotions and then she gave her dad the smallest of smiles.

"Sorry." She said sheepishly.

"Don't _ever_ apologize for hugging me, crying on me or showing me your emotions. It is always welcome here, okay?"

"Okay."

"Now did you want to go get dinner with me? I'm starved." He asked trying to lighten the mood noticing Emma feeling uncomfortable.

"Sorry, I can't. I promised someone I would see them. Rain check?" she asked the last part with a glimmer in her eye, already assuming he was going to say no.

"Anytime you want me to eat with you I will. Even if I just ate with someone else." He said with a charming smile. It got what sounded like a pained laugh out of Emma.

Emma didn't realize how close to 5 it was until she looked up at the station wall and saw that it was 4:45pm.

"Oh crap, I should probably head over there now or Regina will assume I am bailing and poof to my house just to yell at me." She stated.

"Does she do that often," he said with a giggle. "Appear at places you are, just to yell?"

"Apparently it's a new thing she likes to do. It used to be just showing up to talk about work or whatever was happening, but recently she has shown up and we end up in these huge fights. It's no fun."

"I'm sorry to hear that." He says with a frown, "You guys were getting to be great friends."

"Yeah, we were, but life happens. Anyways I should head out now."

"Of course, thank you for meeting me Emma."

"Yeah, thank you for, you know." She gestured to him and he just nodded with a smile.

With that Emma walked out of the station and got in her bug to head over to Regina's for dinner.

(Regina's house a little before Emma left the station}

"Henry! Are you done with homework?" she yells for him and hears footsteps running down the staircase.

"HUH?" he says right before he entered the room. Regina gives him an unimpressed look.

"I said, did you finish your homework?" she repeated.

"Oh yeah I finished that an hour ago." He sat at a stool in the kitchen.

"Really?" she said, her unimpressed look not changing, "So you obviously don't remember me telling you to come and set the table once you were done with your school work?"

Henry winces because he really did seem to have forgotten that his mother told him that. "I am so sorry, I really did forget."

"It's alright dear. Can you do it now though?"

"Yeah, should I set three sets?"

"Of course you should, I told you Emma was coming didn't I?" Regina said with confusion written all over her face.

"Yeah I know, but didn't you tell her to be here at 5?"

"Yes," she stated and paused for a second. "It's not 5 yet it is only 4:30 henry."

"I know, I just assumed she would be here already."

"I told her the earliest to come is 5."

"Oh okay, I guess that makes since." He giggled.

They went in separate directions to do their own thing, Henry went to set the table and Regina started cooking dinner. It was going pretty smoothly, but Regina kept glancing at the clock. She really hopes she doesn't have to go poof over to Emma and yell at her.

At 4:59pm Henry and Regina were sitting at the counter nervously. Henry was nervous because it's the first time he has seen his mom since her birthday morning and Regina was nervous because it was 4:59pm and if Emma didn't show up in less than a minute she would go all Evil Queen on her.

5:00 came and Regina was disappointed that she wasn't here. Maybe she got caught up in something.

At 5:01 she heard the doorbell ring and her heart lifted. She walked to the door only to open it and find a smirking Emma. She didn't really put it together in her head until it finally clicked.

"Really Emma?" she asked with raised eyebrows.

"I don't know what you are talking about." She said fast and pushed herself in pass the brunette.

"You waited outside my house just to be late?" pursed lips and her hand on her hip she walked after Emma who was headed to the kitchen and sat next to Henry who was amused.

"No I would never do something so _childish._ " With a smirk she put an arm around Henry who giggled at her statement.

Regina was annoyed with the fact that she deliberately waited one minute just so she would be late. "You are the most childish person I know! Who does that?" she said in exasperation throwing her hands up causing both Henry and Emma to laugh out loud.

"You know what, I am going to finish making dinner. You guys go be children and play video games or something." She said in a dismissive fashion as she walked to the other side of the counter. Henry was up and ready to follow orders but Emma hesitated.

"Hey kid, go get the game set up. I'll be there in a minute to kick your ass!"

"Language!" Regina said at the same time that henry said, "You're on!" Then Henry was off to the living room and Emma turned to Regina who was staring at the food intently.

"Hey listen, it was just a joke to lighten the mood and show to Henry that I am okay. I didn't mean to actually piss you off." Emma stated.

Regina was confused for a second, "What are you- OH, no don't worry about that I understand. You didn't do anything wrong even though that was quite annoying." She ended with a smirk.

"Okay, good. What are you making? Is it good?" Emma tried to peak but Regina pushed her back.

"Not telling and what does it matter you'll eat it whether you like it or not, human vacuum." Giggling at her own joke she looked up to see Emma getting up to leave.

"Alright no need for name calling. I'm going to go play with the kid. Call if you need anything?" she said walking out of the kitchen but waiting for Regina to answer before actually turning and exiting.

In the living room Emma and Henry played video games, not really mentioning the elephant in the room. That is until Emma decided that she was going to have to be the one that brings it up, so she paused the game and he looks at her about to ask her why she did that but then she started talking.

"Listen carefully kid," she starts turning to him. "I know that you didn't mean to forget my birthday, I understand that it happens okay? You don't have to feel bad, I'm not mad at you and I love you a lot, okay?"

"I love you too ma. I am sorry though." He said looking sadly at his hands.

"Hey," she says pushing his chin up so that he will look at her. "It's okay. I forgive you. It will take me a little longer to forgive the others though, they just have to be patient if they even want to try. I didn't have the best childhood growing up so it's hard for me. Just know that we are okay." She looked him straight in the eye for the last part.

"Okay." He said with a small smile.

"Now let's play, because I was about to beat your ass in this game."

"YOU WISH!"

And with that everything between her and henry was back to normal, not that it ever left. She never blamed him for not remembering, she blamed Regina and her parents.

Almost an hour passed when Regina came in to get them for dinner. Emma was being blown up by Henry's character just as Regina made her way into the living room.

"NOT COOL, kid! What the hell! We are on the same team!" Emma said with a disgusted look towards Henry.

"I'm sorry," Henry giggled not looking sorry at all. "You were getting to high of a score it wasn't fair."

"Sore loser." Emma said with a fake cough. Regina was watching the interaction with a big smile on her face without them knowing she entered the room.

"Hey children, dinner is ready." Regina said with a raised eyebrow.

"You guys are both rude!" Emma points to Regina and then says, "The kid gets it from you."

"Oh sure, because you have never been rude before. You are such an angel!" the brunette spoke with sarcasm dripping off every word. She left the room not giving Emma a chance to respond.

With that Emma and Henry both got up and basically ran to go eat.

Everyone was enjoying the meal, having small talk every once and a while, but mostly just stuffing their faces. That was until Regina's doorbell rang and all three of their heads swiveled in that direction.

"I'm not expecting anyone?" she stated confused, "Henry did you invite someone over and forget to tell me?"

"No? Why would I invite someone over when we are having a family night?" he answered as if his mother had asked the stupidest question ever.

Emma was kind of annoyed that the night was being interrupted but she hid it really well. "Well, are you going to just sit here and wish you know who it is, or are you going to actually go look?" she stated with raised eyebrows. Regina squinted her eyes at Emma but none the less, she pushed out her chair and headed to the door.

When Regina looked out the window to check who it was before opening the door, she rolled her eyes. _Honestly this women doesn't know how to leave me alone. What did I do this time?_

"Hello," she says with a fake smile. "How can I be of assistance?"

"I'm here to see my daughter. I was told she would be here." Snow said coldly.

"She is, but we are eating." She said with narrow eyes. "Did you really have to come here now? Couldn't this wait?"

"Obviously not, since I'm here." She said with attitude, "I stopped by the station a little while ago to talk to my husband only to find out that Emma went and talked to him, AND NOT ME."

"And?" Regina said.

"And, I am her mother she should speak to me. Where is she? I need to talk to her." Snow was standing on her tiptoes trying to see pass Regina.

"I don't think tha-"

"Regina! Who is at the door? Come on you are taking forever." Emma yelled as she walked close to the door. Snow's eyes got big and Regina wished she could just make her disappear as if she was never at the door.

"EMMA IT'S ME, YOUR MOTHER." Snow yells and Regina cringes and gives her an unimpressed look.

"Really dear?"

"Oh?" Emma said confused. "Why are you here?" she asked with curiosity as she walked up next to Regina.

Regina had a feeling this was going to end bad if she didn't get the pixie haired woman to go away or at least not confront her daughter. "She was just coming by for a recipe I promised her."

Emma and Snow both made a confused face.

"No? I came here to talk to Emma. What are you talking about?"

Regina rolled her eyes and Emma answered, "Why do you need to talk to me?"

At this point Snow pushed into the house which rubbed both the other women the wrong way.

"You went to your father? Really Emma? Why didn't you come to me? I'm your mother and you haven't spoken to me since that last message you sent. I didn't do anything wrong but I still apologized to you? You never open up to me. I have done everything to get you to like me. How dare you ignore me and go to your father." At first Emma thought maybe her mother was just jealous that her father got to say he was sorry for real first, but as snow kept going on this rant Emma was feeling more hurt and abandoned than she has in a while. _She blames me? She thinks I'm being unreasonable? How can she be so blind?_ Emma just had question after question going on in her mind, but on the outside every word caused the blonde to flinch. Every accusation caused Emma to turn into herself. She hasn't spoken a word, snow just kept throwing words at Emma not caring about anything but herself. Regina stood in shock for the longest time not comprehending what this mother was saying to her child. She didn't understand how selfish Snow was until this moment and it made her want to throw up. Once she looked at Emma to see how she was Regina was about to lose it on snow, but right as her mouth opened someone else's voice boomed loudly in all their ears.

"ENOUGH!" screamed the young man entering from the kitchen where he first started hearing his grandmother attacking his mom. Regina and Snow jerked their heads in his direction and Emma's slowly rose to look at him, not really able to show how grateful she was that he got her to stop, even if it might just be for a moment. Snow was about to speak but Henry cut her off, "How DARE YOU! What is wrong with you? My mom didn't deserve any of that!" he said with disgust at his grandmother.

"Henry you don't understand you are just a kid." Snow said in a tone that was looking down at him.

"Then let me say it." Regina said, "HOW DARE YOU!" she said each word as she stepped closer to snow. "You come into my house and yell at my friend for something that wasn't even wrong for her to do."

"She pushes people away! She needs to come to me instead of running away like she always does! She has her family now, she has everything she needs. She's just being a little pathetic with this whole 'you missed my birthday' thing don't you think?" snow was stating all of these things she thought true, as if they were facts.

Emma recoils more and more. _All I do is run, she's right I do run. Why do I care about my birthday being missed it's not a big deal. I am pathetic. She's right._ Emma didn't know what to believe anymore she felt trapped in this spot. She wishes that a hole would appear under her and take her away. She tuned back in to hearing what was going on just as Henry and Regina started responding again to snow. _Why are they fighting her, she's right. I'm not worth this effort._

Regina and Henry were losing their shit. Henry was ready to punch something and Regina was ready to burn snow slowly, listen to her screams. Neither one of them cared about filtering at this moment.

"What the fuck is wrong with you!? How are you going to say she is pathetic!? You whine over if someone forgets anything you tell them and now you are going to say Emma is pathetic? What the fuck! She is the least pathetic person I have ever met and she doesn't deserve what you are putting her through right now!" Regina was so close to snow's face that if she got any closer they'd be making out.

"She is your daughter! How the fuck could you say those things about her! Fuck you grandma! Seriously what is wrong with you! Ma was finally happy again for a moment and you come busting in here talking lies about her!? Screaming in her face! She did nothing to you! I'm glad she felt comfortable enough to go to grandpa! You should be too! At least she talked to someone you dumbass! God just go away! You ruined everything."

Snow was about to say something but both Regina and Henry screamed, "GET THE FUCK OUT!" into her face with the most wide eyes. Just as Snow turned around and walk to the door she said "Emma knows I'm right. Don't you honey?" and tried to touch Emma's cheek but Emma shot back until she hit the wall with fear in her eyes. Then Regina pushed Snow out of the door with a hard shove and locked the door behind her.

Emma stood there motionless. _How could my own mother think those things? They must be true. I'm not worth anything. Why am I still here I need to leave. My mother doesn't even want me. I'm just a prize for her sometimes._ Regina and Henry were watching Emma carefully, they could tell she was in her head right now.

"Ma?" Henry tried gently and when that didn't work Regina tried.

"Emma."

It was like she couldn't hear them so Regina tried again a little louder. "EMMA."

Her eyes shot up to Regina, "S-sorry. Uh, I, um, I think, I can't." Emma was stumbling for words. "I'm going to go. I gotta go."

"Emma, listen to me-" Regina said cautiously but got cut off.

"Thanks for dinner. Sorry it got ruined. I understand if you don't want me to come again. I need to go though."

"What?" Regina and Henry said in confusion at the same time about her saying she understands if they don't want her to come again.

"What on earth are you talking about of course we want you to come, you did nothing wrong."

"Yeah Ma, we love having you here!"

"Please stay, we can go and finish our meal and then watch a couple movies, I'll even let you pick them out." Regina tried to convince Emma.  
"I'm tired. I want to go home." She looks over to Henry "sorry Henry."

Henry looks at her with his eyes full of worry, "It's okay, but please stay at least just to finish eating."

"Can't" she said shortly "bye."

"Em-"Emma disappeared in a cloud of smoke. "-ma."

 **THANKS FOR READING! PLEASE REVIEW!  
The next chapter with start off in emma's house. I hate snow rn. I don't know why I felt the need to make her the bad guy but it just happened so sorry to whoever loves snow. I do too.**


	6. isolation

**HI! SOORRRRY I haven't written in a while. College sucks! But I will try and make this one really long. Thank you so much for the reviews again! They make me happy when I read them.**

 **I'm changing the Emma/Lily story a lot. I wanted them to meet when they were younger. Also Lily knows she is from a different world but she doesn't know about the whole town being from that world. Emma and her will end up talking about it and she wont react badly. Lily is a good thing for Emma in this Fic and she is very protective of Emma and the other way around.**

 **I'm not really in the mood to go back through it and read it to look for mistakes so if it really bothers you that much tell me in a review. Otherwise I am sorry and tired lol.**

 **Review please I love yas! Xoxo**

 **Btw you can follow me on insta: confused_swanqueen**

As soon as Emma materialized into her home she sank to the floor. _Why does this keep happening to me? No one loves me. I'm not worth anything. My foster parents were right after all. The world would be a better place without me. I can't do anything though because it will hurt henry. Poor henry, why was he stuck with me as one of his mothers. He could have had a better life if it were someone else._

To say that Emma was feeling completely lost is an understatement, her mother had just confirmed all her fears. She didn't mean to make her mother feel left out, she just feels more connected to her father for some reason and it was easier for her to go to him. Maybe if she just sucked it up and went to her mother none of this would have happened. Maybe her mother would actually want her and not see her as such a disappointment. As Emma went further and further into this never ending rabbit hole of self-loathing she curled tighter into herself. She laid in a ball for to her what felt like maybe 5 minutes, when in reality it was almost 3 hours.

Emma finally stood up and shook off everything that was happening. She doesn't want to be the kind of person that feels sorry for herself. Going into the kitchen she made herself something to eat since her dinner got interrupted she was starving. Once she made the food she sat at her counter and stared off into space while munching on her turkey sandwich. _Maybe I should check my phone. What time is it anyways?_ She went and grabbed her phone seeing it was 11:06pm.

"Woah, didn't realize it was so late no wonder I was hungry." Emma said to herself. After seeing the time she went to her notifications to see if anything was going on.

 **David: Emma, I'm so sorry. I didn't know Snow would react like that.**

 **MM: Emma you should think about what I told you. I'm so ashamed of you.**

 **Henry: hey ma.**

 **Henry: can you at least let me know you are okay?**

 **Regina: Emma**

 **Regina: Emma, answer your son at least he is really worried about you.**

The next text she looked at she couldn't help but smile.

 **Regina: I am also worried. Please reply.**

 **Rubes: hey sweets! Can we chat?**

Emma wasn't in the mood for chatting but she could at least reply to them and let them know she is okay. Well, all except Mary Margaret she will not be nice to her.

 **Emma to Henry: Hey kid, I'm okay. I just lost track of time. You can't imagine how hungry I was, lol. I just ate like 5 turkey sandwiches.**

 **Emma to David: you didn't do anything. That's all her, you don't need to apologize for her. P.s. thank you for earlier again. At least I have one parent who doesn't hate me.**

 **Emma to Rubes: Hey, not really feeling like a in depth convo. So unless its simple sorry no.**

Before Emma could reply to Regina's messages, which is what she was about to do, she got a message from Regina again.

 **Regina: thank you for replying to henry, he's smiling.**

 **Emma to Regina: you know, I was going to reply to you. Literally just as you sent that.**

 **Emma to MM: Just leave me alone please.**

Emma was so done with getting pitiful looks and she was going to make it stop. Mary Margaret was right in one area, it was just a birthday why should it matter. So she is going to hide her true feelings about it and play along they was everyone else wants her to.

 _Ding._

 **Regina: sorry I didn't give you time.**

 **Emma: it's okay, but just to let you know. I am fine.**

 **Regina: you aren't. no one would be after that.**

 **Emma: I wasn't at first but I am now. I let it out.**

 **Regina: what do you mean?**

 **Emma: I mean that I am okay now.**

 **Regina: can you be any more vague?**

 **Emma: Women, you are impossible.**

 **Emma: it just means that I was upset but I let my upsetness out.**

 **Regina: So you cried?**

 **Emma: Regina.**

 **Regina: Sorry, I shouldn't have asked that it was inappropriate.**

 **Emma: a lil. But its okay.**

 **Regina: you say that a lot. That its okay. Most of the time you probably shouldn't say its okay because it isn't.**

 **Regina: YOU JUST ATE 5 TURKEY SANDWICHES? EMMA THAT'S NOT HEALTHY!**

With everything in her she couldn't hold in the giggle that escaped her lips. She should have known henry would tell her, but knowing Regina it was either let her see or she will make him with threats.

 **Emma: stealing henry's phone I see.**

 **Emma: and if it makes you feel better they had lettuce and tomato on them xD**

 **Regina: It does not, miss swan. You should have stayed to eat.**

 **Emma: I'm a big girl I can feed myself.**

 **Regina: obviously you cant.**

 **Emma: if this is how the conversation is going to be I will stop replying.**

 **Regina: you wouldn't DARE!**

 **Emma: keep talking about it and you'll find out.**

 **Regina: … … …**

 **Regina: we have left overs, emma. I can bring them.**

Emma rolls her eyes at the fact that Regina couldn't stop talking about it. Now she is going to have to prove that she wasn't joking.

(5 minutes go by she still hasn't answered Regina.) Emma wonders how annoyed Regina is.

 **Regina: You cannot be serious.**

 **Regina: Emma Swan! Stop being a child.**

 **Regina: I'll make granny stop making grilled cheese.**

At that Emma laughed harder than she has in a while. It felt nice, but she still couldn't reply she told Regina what would happen.

 **Regina: Okay now I am annoyed. Reply.**

Emma went to go and get into something more comfortable since she had nothing else to do. Going to her room she grabs her biggest comfiest sweaters she owns, put on some leggings, grabbed a pair of fuzzy white socks, put her hair up in a messy bun not caring some strands were falling out, and took out her contacts to put her glasses on. _There. Now I'm comfy._ About 35 minutes later she walks back downstairs to go and see what Regina has said, not realizing how much fun she was having with the fact that she was annoying Regina. She went over to the counter where she set her phone and was about to grab it when,

"REALLY MISS SWAN?" as Regina yelled that Emma jumped higher than she thought she could and made a high pitched scream while almost dropping her phone.

"REGINA! WHAT THE HELL?" Emma said with big eyes finally returning to see Regina standing in the entrance of the living room/kitchen entrance.

"You stopped replying!" she shouted as if it gave her a right to be in the house.

"And?" Emma giggled out half serious. What Emma didn't realize is Regina was staring her down from head to toe she was too amused by what was happening.

"So I came over, I warned you in a couple texts, but it seems you were elsewhere and didn't have your phone." Regina walks towards Emma and hands her the phone, "See?"

Emma looked down and read,

 **Regina: Emma this wasn't funny in the beginning and its not funny now!**

 **Regina: MISS SWAN. Stop being a child for once in your life and answer me!**

 **Regina: We are no longer friends.**

Emma actually snorted at that text she almost couldn't continue on to see what else was said. "You threatened to stop being my friend? Really Regina." Still giggling she looked up to her and saw a ghost of a smile appear on Regina's face.

"Yes really! It's annoying to be ignored! Especially when we were in the middle of a conversation."

"I warned you I would stop replying, you decided to continue talking as if you were my mother."

Regina's face darkened, "Do not EVER compare me to the insufferable little child."

Emma held her hands up, "Woah, chill. I just meant that you were talking about things a mother would, not a friend. How many messaged did you send, damn." Then Emma went on to read the messages.

 **Regina: If you keep ignoring me I will stop getting extra fries so you can steal them.**

 **Regina: Two can play at this game! I will not be ignored!**

 **Regina: do you forget I can easily show up at your house?**

 **Regina: EMMA I AM LOSING THE LITTLE PATIENCE THAT I HAD.**

 **Regina: I strongly dislike you right now.**

 **Regina: I will tell henry it was you who ate his last ice cream sandwich and that it wasn't him just forgetting!**

"You wouldn't!" emma's head shot to where regina was.

"I would but lucky for you he was asleep." Regina smirked and then took a seat in the stool next to emma.

 **Regina: If you don't answer in 5 minutes I will be in your house and you'll have to deal with me.**

 **Regina: 2 minutes left. Im not kidding.**

 **Regina: 1 minute! EMMA COME ON**

Emma giggles at the fact Regina is having a count down.

 **Regina: after I send this text I will be there! You have been warned.**

"See, told you I warned you." Regina said smugly.

"Yeah," Emma laughed. "I guess you did. Loved the countdown by the way."

"Thank you, I thought it was a nice touch."

Emma looked at her messaged after the Regina spam and there were a couple messages from ruby a couple from Mary Margaret and some from David. "I'll answer those later." She said as she sighed. It got silent for a few minutes, both of them just sitting there sitting at the counter. Emma wasn't really paying attention to Regina she was just starring off into space, but Regina, she was taking in all of Emma. She was wishing she was inside her brain so that she could know exactly what to say and what not to. She was also appreciating the cozy vibe of what Emma was wearing and how she looked completely comfortable how she was in that moment.

Emma finally came back from la la land and turned to look at Regina only to have her already starring at her. "What?" she asked suddenly self-conscience.

"Nothing," the brunette said, a little embarrassed she got caught looking at her.

"Oh okay." She replied sheepishly not feeling any better.

"What's wrong?" Regina notices her change of tone.

"It's just- well- do I have something on my face? You were looking at me. I do don't I." Emma started to get up to go check her face in a mirror.

"Emma sit down there is nothing on your face." Once Emma was sat back down in her spot next to her she continued, "You just simply look really comfortable and different than how I usually see you is all."

"Oh," Emma blushed a little barely noticeable. "Well I wasn't really expecting company. Should I change?"

"No," she said simply but before she could stop herself she continued. "You look adorable."

Once the former evil queen said that Emma tried her darnedest to keep the blush and any other reaction to a minimum. Regina was just being nice.

"Thanks." She said while looking down at her hands which were resting on the counter, and she let the faintest of smiles appear on her face.

Regina realized what she said and felt flustered. She didn't know how to continue the conversation so she cleared her throat a few times and picked a subject. "I'm sorry about what your mother said to you." _Probably not the best subject to choose Regina._

Emma looked as if she had just been slammed into reality for a minute before to schooled her features and answered. "Yeah. She was just hurt, it's okay. I should have went to her and talked. I am really bad at opening up to people. Most of the things she said were true." Emma shrugged as if it was no big deal.

Regina was shocked by the answer she got from her. _Emma thinks most of those cruel things that Snow white said were true? How is this possible?_ "I honestly don't know what kind of answer I was expecting but that definitely was NOT it. None of the things she said about you are remotely true. How could you think that?"

Emma sighed, "Regina I'm really not in the mood to talk about her or what happened so please just drop it."

"Fine, but just so you know I am here if you need to talk about it. She basically tried to shatter everything about you in one meeting."

"Yeah I know you are here." She looked at Regina with a smile that looked like she was trying way too hard for it to be real.

"Okay," Regina touched her arm to let her know it was okay and that she wasn't going to push it. "So about those turkey sandwiches."

Emma rolled her eyes and laughed. "Regina I was hungry and I didn't really feel like cooking I had just woken up, or I guess I finally came back from la la land."

"What is la la land?" Regina asked in the most confused face ever that Emma just wanted to kiss it right off.

"I was zoned out since I got back to my house. Just thinking."

"That WHOLE time? That was like 3-4 hours Emma! You didn't eat until then?" when she looked at emma and saw her 'really' face she had the sense to drop it, for now. "Sorry. I just worry. You eat horribly, I'm afraid if you didn't come have dinner at my house every week you would only eat things that are microwavable or junk food."

"That's really nice of you to worry and all, but you have to realize if survived my whole life on what I choose to eat. No one else did so that has to count for something. I can take care of myself."

Regina didn't know whether or not to try and get Emma to open up on her past or not. It's always been a touchy subject with Emma. It always felt as if Emma wanted to talk about it but just didn't want to hurt everyone with the details of what happened back then.

"I know you can take care of yourself, Emma. It doesn't mean I can't worry about you."

"I guess." Emma looks away and then gets up to clean her plate and the area where she made her sandwiches.

"Emma," Regina said following her over to the sink. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"No its okay." She smiles at Regina. "It's just hard for me to wrap my head around other people worrying about me."

"Well get used to it." Not realizing how natural and domestic it was to do, she pushed a hair out of Emma's face so that she could see what she was doing. Once she noticed what she did she froze, "Sorry."

Emma didn't even realize how unnatural it was either until Regina said something about it. "Oh it's okay." She blushed more.

"Oh, Emma I'm sorry I don't want you to feel uncomfortable in your own home."

"Regina, calm down it's okay. You were being nice." She grabbed Regina's hand and squeezed it.

"Emma, we are going to have to talk about your mom or at least what she said to you. You need to know it isn't true."

Emma took her hand away from Regina, "Why can't we have one nice conversation without it being ruined." She turned to walk out of the room since she was done with the dishes.

"Why can't we have a serious conversation without you storming away or kicking me out?"

Emma gave her an evil glare which would tell a normal person to back off but Regina just kept going.

"Because it's none of your fucking business! It's MY life! What don't you understand?"

"What I don't understand is why you always get so angry at me! I'm trying to be here for you but you make it so god damn hard!" Regina was so frustrated. She didn't know how to get it through to Emma that she is here and she won't just turn on her.

"If it's so fucking hard then stop trying! No one is forcing you to be here! You can go. I didn't ask you to intervene at your house when my mother was yelling at me, I didn't tell you to come and talk to me when you think I'm upset and I sure as hell didn't tell you that when I don't answer to just come annoy me anyways! I don't need anyone! I don't even know why I was so fucking upset about my birthday it's not like I've ever had anyone care about it before. OH WAIT I did, lily, but I don't know where the fuck she is so there goes another person! fuck you regina and fuck everything! Just leave me the hell alone. Stop fucking pushing me to explode I'm so sick of it!" Emma's face was turning red and she was screaming at Regina like she personally did every bad thing to Emma herself.

Regina could say she was shocked, but that was an understatement. She had never in her lifer ever see so much pain and anger in one person's eyes. Even as the Evil queen in the enchanted forest she doesn't remember ever feeling the way Emma seemed to be feeling and yet it still hurt that she was the one being yelled at. She closed her eyes as Emma yelled not wanting her to see that she felt sorry for Emma because it will make her shut down and she wants Emma to get it out. When Emma finally said her last word she realized how Regina didn't deserve that.

Emma took a few quick steps backwards and held her hand over her mouth. "Regina. Fuck. I'm so-" before Emma could finish her apology Regina interrupted her.

"Emma stop, you don't need to apologize." She tried to walk towards Emma but every step forward she took Emma took two back. The blonde looks as if she just murdered a puppy in cold blood. _Maybe I should have stopped her sooner._ Regina thought. "Emma it's okay. Really. You did nothing wrong."

"What are you talking about? I just attacked you. How can you even be near me? Please can you- just please go home." Emma was crying and holding herself.

"I am home, and you didn't attack me." Regina took a few steps forward not wanting to leave, especially with her like this. She didn't even realize how she started the sentence until it was too late, now she just hopes either Emma didn't hear her or didn't mind. "And I'm not just going to leave you, so you can just get that out of your head right now."

Deciding to ignore that Regina just basically called her home, Emma looked at her with pleading eyes, "Please Gina."

"No Emma, I'm not going to just leave and let you cry by yourself I am staying here." She put her hands on Emma's shoulders and looked her in the eyes as she said it. "You can say all the mean things in the world, it might upset me, but I'm not going to just walk out. You mean too much to me, you are my best friend. Did you know I have never had one in all of my life?" when Emma just shook her head Regina continued "Well I haven't and I don't plan on getting another one any time soon so you are stuck with me."

Emma had finally felt better about everything up until Regina showed up and exploded everything. It felt good to have someone around though, that doesn't seem to be judging her for the way she is reacting. She takes a few deep breaths and then leans her head to one side to hold Regina's hand in place. Regina smiles at her and releases a breath she didn't realize she was holding.

"I'm sorry," Regina opened her mouth to say something but Emma didn't let her. "No please listen. I'm sorry I keep snapping at you it's really shitty of me to keep doing and I know you are going to say 'it's fine miss swan I understand' but it really isn't. You don't deserve it I'm just a sucky person and a horrible choice for your only friend. I'm being pathetic." Emma didn't even realize she used the word her mother called her but Regina seemed to and she tensed.

"You. Are. Not. Pathetic. Miss Swan, and don't you ever say that to me again. I swear if I hear one more person say that about you, _including_ yourself I will go full Evil queen on them and they won't know what hit them."

"I don't-" Emma started confused.

"You just called yourself pathetic miss swan. Don't ever do that, your mother is an idiot and had no idea what she is talking about." Regina turned around and started to pace, "I _knew_ you were lying when you said what snow said didn't hurt you. I should have roasted her the second she walked into the door." Turning back to look at Emma all Emma could see was so much love and comfort in her eyes and also pain for her, "How many of the things she said are now stuck in your head forever. It seems as if she hit every single sore spot you have and just shattered your confidence." She played with a strand of hair that was out of Emma's bun. "I am so sorry she came and ruined dinner we were having a good time."

"Everyone needs to stop apologizing for her. The only person who needs to do that is her and that isn't going to happen. Even if it did I don't know if I would ever be able to look at her again." Emma said as she brushed away the brunettes comforting hand and walked into the living room. "Can we just hang out Gina? I don't want to be sad anymore, please. We can watch a movie and I'll even let you pick." She plopped down onto the couch from the back just assuming the other lady followed her. She seemed to realize something and popped up into a sitting position so that Regina could see her, "Oh, unless you need to get back to the kid. That makes sense we could do this another time. It's okay."

Regina raised her eyebrow, first at how fast the blonde seemed to backtrack and secondly how she plopped onto the couch was adorable, but of course she couldn't call her adorable twice in one visit. "Did you want me to stay or not Miss Swan? Make up your mind." She said with a smirk.

"I do, but henry might need you." With an afterthought she decided to add, "Oh and if you are going to keep calling me Miss Swan then you can just go cause I don't like it." Laying back down as she finished her statement like a child made Regina giggle.

 _I love that sound._ Emma thought. _Wait she's laughing at me._ "What's so funny" she said with what she thought would be a mad face but to Regina it looked like when a baby tried to look mad.

"Oh nothing, just you trying to be strict and grumpy doesn't really look as mean as you probably want it to be." She tried to hold back her laughter for Emma's sake but she couldn't. She leaned over the back of the couch, "I dropped henry off at one of his friend's houses. He's staying the night so he won't mind." She said looking down over Emma.

"Are you saying I can't be mean or strict?" Emma crossed her arms and sat up getting closer to Regina by default.

"You look like a toddler right now." This was really amusing Regina, she wondered how far Emma will go to prove she can be mean.

"A toddler? Really? How?" her face was scrunched up and her eyes were squinted in suspicion all while her arms still crossed.

While drawing a circle with her index finger around Emma's face she said "this." Regina laughed, "It looks like someone just stole your ice cream."

Emma rolled her eyes, "Whatever. Are you going to come sit down or just stand on that side of the couch all day." She faced towards the TV and pouted.

"Okay Miss S-"

"EM-MA"

Regina glared at her, "Okay Em-ma, you are a very mean person I don't know how anyone can be around you. Is that what you want to hear?"

She grinned in triumph, "Yeah kinda."

"You are impossible." Regina came around the couch and picked Emma's legs up because she was taking up the whole couch, and then she set them on top of her once she sat down.

"I can move my legs." She stated as she started to pull them off of Regina's lap but she held down so Emma didn't get them very far.

"No need, I am comfortable and it looks as if you may be as well."

"I am."

"Okay then." They just stared at each other for a few minutes not really saying anything yet it wasn't weird to either of them.

"Told you that you could pick the movie, Gina. Chop chop."

"Really Emma." She said with an unimpressed look.

"Sorry but can you pick something please."

Regina got up not really wanting to leave where she was because she was comfortable, but she went over to the entertainment center that has all of Emma's movies that she has collected throughout the years. "What kind of movie are you feeling tonight?" Regina asked Emma.

"Um, how about a scary movie?"

"No."

"What? Why not? You asked me."

"I don't do scary movies. Henry has tried to get me to watch them but I won't."

Emma's eyes lit up, "Oh come on now we have to watch a scary movie I have a whole section you can pick from." She got up and ran over to the area, "I have the babadook, the exorcist, let the right one in, the shining, cabin in the woods, Ooh I know let's watch Lights out! It's so good. Please! Please! Please!"

"Really Emma are you trying to make me think you are a child?"

Emma came up behind her and rested her head on Regina's shoulder, "If it gets you to let us watch this movie then yes."

When Regina turned to see Emma's face on her shoulder she didn't expect to see such big eyes and a puppy dog lip going, "Emma! That's not fair! You are trying to guilt me into watching it"

"Is it working?" she said with a big grin on her face.

"Just put the damn movie in." Regina went and sat on the couch in the same place she was before.

"YAY! Okay I am going to go get pillows and blankets! Be right back. Do you want to change into something more comfortable?" Emma was basically out the door before she asked the question but jerked back at the last second.

"That's probably not a bad idea." Purple smoke covered Regina and when it disappeared there she was sitting in a long sleeve shirt, booty shorts, and fuzzy socks. Putting her hair in a loose ponytail she didn't notice the way Emma was staring at her legs.

"Jesus." Emma said under her breath.

"What?" Regina asked as she finished her ponytail.

"Oh what? Nothing I didn't say anything! Pillows, we need pillows!" she ran out of the room and grabbed all the necessities.

"Okay then." _That was weird even for Emma_.

After waiting a while Emma came back covered with blankets and pillows past her face.

"Emma, why didn't you ask me to come help you." Regina said as she got up to grab some of the things in her arms. Only Emma didn't know she stood up so she kept walking towards the couch and ran straight into Regina, knocking her over and on the way down the brunette grabbed Emma for balance not thinking which made her fall on top of her. "Emma!"

They both made a surprised screaming noise on the way down. Emma tried to grab onto something to lessen the fall but she couldn't get a hold of anything and landed at full force.

"Regina are you okay! I'm so sorry." She was trying to move the blankets out of the way to see Regina's reaction. She heard something that could either be laughing or crying but the blankets were muffling the noise. Once she moved the blankets she got a loud earful of Regina laughing hysterically which made Emma feel less bad about what happen. Regina's laugh was contagious which caused Emma to roll over onto the floor next to Regina so that she wasn't smooshing her to death, but they laid there laughing for the longest time. Regina couldn't stop, she was at the point of tears. Neither or them remember the last time they laughed this hard but it felt good. After a while Regina turned on her side and spoke in between giggles, "Next time ask me to come help you and we can avoid being a human bowling pin and ball."

Emma turned her head towards Regina, "Why would I ever want to avoid what just happened. I love hearing you laugh and I haven't laughed that hard in ages."

Regina looked at Emma thoughtfully and then continued on their conversation, "I might have bruised something I am way too old for this."

"What are you like 70? 80? Including all your years in life." Emma snorted when she looked over and saw Regina's offended face. It only made her laugh harder when she shoved Emma in the side. "I'm sorry, okay! Bad joke! Ha ha! Won't happen again your majesty." Emma said with a wink as she sat up.

"Better not. Cursed years Do. Not. Count." She said following Emma's lead and sitting up.

"Okay, we should watch this movie though. I'm excited to pop your scary movie cherry." Getting up with a smirk she walked over and put the movie in.

Regina had both her eyebrows lifted at Emma's comment but she grabbed the blankets and pillows and set it up on the couch. "What a crass way to put it, dear."

"I'm not wrong though." Not even looking back at Regina, she was too busy figuring out the TV.

"No I guess not." She said with a low chuckle as she sat back down on the couch.

"GOT IT! Okay lights off and we can get this show on the road." Emma didn't feel like walking across the room so she used magic as she sat down to turn all the lights in the house off.

"Impressive, have you been practicing."

"Maybe a little. I found out how to do that on accident though." She said with a slight blush from embarrassment.

"That will have to be a story for another time."

They were both sitting at opposite ends of the couch and Regina didn't like it. First of all it's the first time she has ever watched a scary movie so she really doesn't want to be secluded and second, she just wants to be closer to Emma. She fakes as if she was uncomfortable and starts rearranging her pillows to be in the middle of the couch or so she is sitting right next to Emma. The blonde girl watches this happen and doesn't say a word she just moves so that there is a more comfortable position for them to be cuddling without it actually being cuddling and then they started to pay attention to the movie.

The movie was getting intense in the way where you just have to cover your face but leave one eye open. That is exactly what Regina was doing, she scooted down as if she was sinking into the couch and leaned more towards Emma with her blanket right up to her eyes. Emma looked over at her to see why she was moving so much and when she looked down she couldn't believe how fricken cute and scared the former evil queen was acting. She smiled and scooted down a little bit to be closer to her but didn't say a word.

Everything was black on the screen, you could only see an outline of the main characters because they are in the dark right now. Emma's living room had no light coming from any direction which made the experience worse. Getting sucked into scary movies is the easiest thing to happen. You start thinking that it's happening to you as the movie goes on, so if you happen to be watching a movie about staying out of the shadows you kind of want to turn on all of the lights just in care. Regina was so tempted to light a fireball right then and there, she couldn't handle it, it was so quiet and intense yet she couldn't look away from the screen.

"EMMA!" a stranger's voice called from behind them in the kitchen causing Regina to scream really loud and Emma to cover her ears and jump. "Emma! You home! Where are you lil shit."

Regina was so confused but she looked over to Emma and she had a huge grin on her face and bolted out of her seat and ran straight to the unknown voice, which Regina was the only one that didn't know it.

Emma ran into the kitchen not believing her ears. She actually came, she is here in storybrooke. "Lils?" she questioned as she turned on the kitchen lights.

"Why the fuck are you sitting in the dark you freak." Lily giggled.

"I was watching a movie." She says quickly and then goes on to excitement, "You're here!" Emma was so happy she ran straight into lily's arms.

"Of course I'm here! I'm sorry I wasn't here for your birthday though Ems. I really tried, but there is this whole wacko story about my phone being stolen and taking forever to get a fucking car to come out here and I didn't really have the money to buy a new phone. I am so sorry I wasn't here, but look!" Lily pointed to the counter where there was a large white box.

"Biggest one you could find?" Emma grinned.

"Of course! I think I out did myself this year. I'm so proud." They walked towards the box.

Regina walked into the kitchen after a few minutes, "What's the box?"

Both Emma and Lily's heads snapped into Regina's direction making her feel uncomfortable for a second.

Emma cringed, "I'm so sorry I just left you in there like that, I just really wasn't expecting to see her."

"It's quite alright dear, but may I ask who she is?" Regina said looking between lily and Emma, either one allowed to answer.

"My names Lily, I'm Emma's friend." She walked closer to Regina and held out her hand, "and you are?"

"Regina Mills. Also Emma's friend." They shook hands while staring each other down.

"O-kay. Lils can I open it now!"

Regina had never seen Emma so excited about something before and she was intrigued to see what was inside. Lily looked between Emma and Regina wondering if she interrupted something by barging in. she'd have to ask Ems about it later.

"Uh, yeah sure! Unless you want to just wait until its only us."

Emma looked confused for a second, _why would I only want it to be us? I guess it is usually a lily and I kind of event we never really had anyone else in the room when we did it. We would always run to a park or somewhere private for our own little birthday parties together._

"No I'm okay with her being her if you are." She watched lily's face to make sure she was telling the truth when she answered.

"It's your birthday party." She answered with a smirk not looking hurt at all that there is someone else included.

Emma pulled Regina into the kitchen more and then ran over to the box and started to open it.

Regina was expecting something fancy and insane with the way Emma was reacting to the object, but when she looked around all she saw was a cake.

"Oh my damn it looks so good! Lily you got one with my bug on it." She said laughing and then walked to the drawer to get three forks handing one to each of them and keeping one for herself.

"It's your favorite flavor too." Lily waited for Emma to take the first bite and then dug in herself.

Regina wasn't so sure what was happening but it seemed like a tradition and she wasn't really a part of it. She just kind of jumped on it. Not wanting to hurt anyone's feelings she decided to ask a simple question. "Is this something you do for each other every year?"

"Yeah most of the time, when it's possible." Emma stated while forking some cake and putting it in her mouth.

Lily decided to add on, "Sometimes we were too far away from each other to even be able to see one another on birthday's, but we always promised to try and that when we were older no one would be able to stop us from doing it." Lily could tell that Regina was holding back questions so she decided to put her out of her misery for at least one of them. "Me and Ems over here met in a group home when I was 8 and she was 6. One day she was really sad and I asked her why and she told me it was because no one wished her a happy birthday again this year. I completely understood and made a silly pact with her that every year on each of our birthdays we would do anything we can to make our birthdays feel special. Sometimes we would just draw each other pictures or some kind of art thing. Then we got separated and sent into different homes, when that happened she asked if we still got to do our special birthday parties just the two of us. How could I refuse that face! So I told her I would try my best to get her something or at least say happy birthday to her. That's not the easiest thing to do when you live far apart, but no matter what we both tried our hardest to do it. Then one of the years it was Emma's birthday and I didn't have anything for her so I went to the store and stole her one of those chocolate cupcakes for her. She was so excited to get a cake that I decided every time I could I would get her one for her birthday whether I had to steal it or not." Lily and Emma were smiling at the happy memory but all Regina was thinking is she wished they had more people who cared.

"Me and Lily got kicked out of so many homes for 'running away' because we were so committed to this." Emma giggled and so did Lily. Regina nodded in understanding and tried to see the humor in it but it was sad, they just wanted to be with someone they loved and that loved them and they got kicked out. Seeing that Regina was having a hard time processing Emma decided to change the subject, "Lily this cake is amazing. I am going to eat it all in one sitting, I swear."

"That wouldn't be surprising at all. You have eaten more than this in one sitting."

"Hey, if you are given food you don't waste one bit of it. My life motto." Emma said with a shit eating grin.

"I hear that." Emma and Lily clinked their forks and the dug in once more.

"Gina? You going to eat some of this cake? If you don't I will eat it all by myself later."

"I guess I could have a couple bites." She leaned onto the counter and stuck her fork into the cake then ate it, "Oh my gods that is really delicious."

"Someone doesn't eat enough sweets," Lily said.

"You couldn't have been more right." Emma laughed watching Regina give lily her dagger eyes. Having these two around each other was going to be interesting.

"So are you guys dating?" lily asked in the most casual voice.

Emma choked on her cake and Regina smirked and ate a bite of cake trying not to full out laugh at Emma's reaction.

"No, Lilith. We aren't." Emma said purposefully not making eye contact with Regina but staring Lily down like she was going to murder her.

"What? Don't go all full name on me it was a reasonable question I just walked in on you guys sitting in the dark all alone."

"We were watching a movie. How else are you supposed to watch a movie?"

Lily was going to drop the subject but Regina was having too much fun with the way Emma was avoiding her eyes and trying to move on so she decided to have a little fun.

"You were laying on top of me earlier," Regina stated that and then took a bite of the cake whole smirking. Lily busted out laughing hysterically at Emma's wide eyes and open mouth.

"I-you know that was your fault I couldn't see! I had all these blankets and then you had the smart idea to stand in front of me without telling me." There she got her point across, then as an afterthought she added, "Not like you were complaining though, you seemed to enjoy it thoroughly."

Regina was shocked that Emma said something back and it showed. As soon as the words left Emma's lips Regina's eyebrows shot up and she stood up straight for a minute before saying, "Touché."

Regina was watching the flirting happen and she just knew it was going to be interesting to see these two fall for each other. "You guys are cute. Are we gunna finish the movie or what?"

Emma and Regina both blushed a little at her comment but then Emma looked to Regina to see if she wanted to stay and finish the movie, it was getting really late.

"I would love too even though I am terrified I need to see how it ends."

Emma got a bowl and put some cake in it to take with her and then they all headed to the living room to watch the rest of the movie. Emma sat all the way to the right then went Regina and then Lily. They are cozied up under the blankets and clicked play.

Lily was wide awake because of all the sleep she got on the cab she took to a rental place, but it didn't seem to be the same for the other two women. Emma and Regina were leaning against each other Emma's head under Regina's and they were both passed out. They didn't even make it 20 more minutes into the movie. Lily decided to turn off the TV, go upstairs find the guest room and let them sleep downstairs all cuddled. _It'll be interesting to see how they react to it._ Lily thought. She will have to get more information about them when she wakes up tomorrow. Having one more look at how comfortable and happy Emma looks cuddled next to this other woman and she drifts up the stairs to find her bed.

 **There will be some awkotaco moments in the next chapter. Along with Lily confronting Emma alone about Regina. I'll probably throw in some Jealous!Regina.**

 **Should I make Lily figure out everyone forgot her birthday this next chapter or make Emma to try and keep it from her because she knows how lily will react! Tbh probs gunna go with the second one. If you have any ideas or fic recs I will try. Hope you enjoyed this Chapter.**


	7. not therapy

**Thank you for the reviews! Please keep them coming! Sorry I don't update as often as I probably should, but I get busy. Enjoy!**

Emma felt so comfortable, she hasn't ever had such a wonderful night of sleep. She didn't have any nightmares and she slept all the way through the night without getting up once, it was a miracle to her. The only thing she didn't know is why.

With her eyes closed and a smile on her face she nuzzled into whatever was under her head. She could have sworn it almost felt as if there was another person by her. _Wait, where am I? When did I go to sleep?_ With every minute that passed, Emma woke up a little more. As she finally opened her eyes to look at where she was she noticed that she is in her living room. _Oh, I must have fallen asleep on the couch last night after we finished the movi- Lily is here. Did Regina leave last night?_ Emma froze. She is leaning in the direction where Regina was last night. Emma slowly and carefully sat up from her position and when she looked over she was none other than the mayor herself asleep on her couch. She doesn't really know what to do, her first instinct is to run away but this is her house she can't really do that. Regina is still asleep maybe she won't have to know that they slept together there. As quickly and quietly as she could she shot up off the couch. Apparently she jostled the brunette though because she heard a whine.

"What's going on?" Regina asked in a raspy tired voice not even opening her eyes.

Emma froze again in her spot, paling, not really wanting to answer.

Since no one answered her, Regina rubbed her eyes and then opened them to look around. She was slightly confused because she wasn't even in her own house. She was still at Emma's. _Oh yeah, that's right we were watching a movie. We must have fallen asleep or maybe only I did because I don't see Em-_

Starting to look around, her eyes landed on the blonde woman herself, "Oh, hello dear. I must have fallen asleep." She stated not noticing how rigid and colorless Emma was. Starting to straighten herself out she realized that Emma still hasn't said anything back to her so she looked over at her and noticed everything she once looked past.

Eyebrows furrowed she stood up to walk towards the blonde, "Emma are you alright?"

Emma jumped at the concern, she was in uncomfortable territory. Every cell in her body was telling her to run, just find somewhere else to go until Regina leaves. Of course Emma knows that the other woman didn't do anything wrong but whether or not the safety she felt in Regina's arms scared the crap out of her.

"Yeah, what? Why wouldn't I be." She backed up a few feet and stumbled into the doorway, "I need to go get dressed." with that she turned and basically ran up the stairs not noticing that Lily was in the kitchen witnessing the whole thing.

"Miss Swan!" she called after her but didn't get a response. Regina was so confused. What did she do wrong?

In the kitchen Lily was cutting up a banana to put in her cheerios. She knows Emma well enough to not run after her because if she did she would just get snapped. She wished Emma didn't have to be so scared, but she understands why she is. She has been through a lot in her life.

Lily spotted the other woman slowly walking closer to the stairs looking utterly confused, "I wouldn't go after her if I were you."

Regina jerked a little bit as Lily talked seeing as she didn't even know the woman was downstairs. "Did I do or say something wrong?" she asked concerned.

"Nah, it was just a lot to wake up to for her."

Regina shook her head in confusion, "What?" she asked like nothing made sense. Deciding to join Lily in the kitchen she took up residence in a stool watching as the bananas fell into the bowl.

Lily smiled kindly but it turned into a frown the moment she started talking, "She woke up cuddling with you."

Regina was slightly hurt and offended, "Well then, I didn't realize that was such a horrid thing to wake up to."

After laughing for a minute, "No, that's not what I meant." She looked at Regina for a second, "Do you-" she started but didn't know whether or not she should continue because Emma would kill her _then_ kick her out.

"Do I what?" she encouraged.

"I don't know." Lily decided not to cause problems for her friend yet.

Regina was clearly annoyed, if she didn't see it all over her face what she said made it obvious, "Thank you so much for your insight, dear."

Lily sighed, "Just give her time. She has gone through a lot of shit in her life. Certain things trigger her to shut down especially if she feels really happy about something. She isn't used to things working out for her so when she feels comfortable with someone it freaks her out because she doesn't think anyone wants to keep her. She assumes people will just get tired of her and leave her."

"I would _never_ leave her she is my friend." She stated harder than she has stated anything in her life, shocking herself and making lily smile.

"Good. If you did I would have to kick your ass." They smiled at each other for a while taking in what the other had said until lily started a new conversation, "So what exciting things did you guys do for Emsies birthday!" she asked excitingly.

Regina stiffened a little bit and wouldn't make eye contact with the other woman causing Lily to stop what she was doing and look at her.

"Regina. What did you and her parents do for her birthday?"

Regina opened her mouth to speak but another voice came out, "Hey Lils! I'm surprised you are awake. Did you want me to show you around today?" Emma decided to ignore any feelings she was having and go spend time with her best friend. She didn't realize she walked in on a conversation and she also didn't notice the tension until she looked up and saw Lily staring at Regina with the dagger look and Regina looking extremely guilty. "Whoa guys what's going on in here?"

Regina fixed herself to try and look okay but the damage has already been done.

"Regina?" she asked and when the brunette avoided eye contact she looked to the other, "Lily what's up?"

Lily seemed to relax a little bit when she looked at Emma's concerned face, "I just asked Regina a question she apparently didn't want to answer. So I will ask you."

Emma didn't know this then but she will regret asking what she is about to ask. "Oh really? Ask away," she said as she hopped on the stool next to Regina glancing at her for a second before stealing a piece of banana from Lily's bowl and putting it in her mouth.

"What did she, Henry and your parents do for your birthday?"

Emma accidentally inhaled the banana and started choking on it. _Out of all the questions she could have asked why did it have to be that one. At least she understood the guilty look on Regina's face now._ She was really starting to struggle with her breathing and she was starting to panic. _Bananas are smooshy why is it possible to choke on it. Great just another fucked up thing to happen to the famous Emma Swan. Die from choking on a banana._

Regina and Lily both seemed to notice Emma was actually choking and rushed to her to help her. Lily tried to force the banana out of her esophagus by wrapping her arms around her from the back and pushing on her stomach. It wasn't working, "What the fuck Emma it's like a super banana?!" Lily was panicking and didn't know what to do.

Regina on the other hand really wanted to use magic to make it disappear out of Emma's throat but assumed that Lily didn't know about magic. She was trying to get Emma's attention to ask her permission to use it but the blonde was turning blue and looked as if she would fall to the ground at any moment. "Fuck it," Regina twirled her hand in the way she always does making the banana disappear.

Emma gasped for air as her body fell into Lily who was staring from Regina with confusion to Emma with utter relief.

"Emma, what was that?"

Emma looked over to Regina with a glare but didn't answer because she was still catching her breath.

"Emma-" Regina started putting her hand out to try and touch her.

"Don't." she moved out of Lily's arms. Even though she knew why Regina used magic in front of Lily, she was using it as an excuse to push her away. _If I push her away first she can't hurt me._ Plus she doesn't know how Lily is going to react, Emma was planning on telling her everything but she was going to ease into it, not do magic in front of her.

"I had to Emma." She said exasperatedly.

"You didn't. You chose to because it was easier." Emma hissed.

Lily was so confused to what was going on between these two, "Guys-"

"You would have died! You were turning blue what did you expect me to do? Just watch you die and say oh well at least Lily doesn't know!"

"Don't be dramatic, I wasn't going to die." She rolled her eyes.

"You were turning _blue_." She glared at the irrational blonde. "Do you know what that means Emma? It means that you weren't getting enough oxygen. Oxygen is something you need to live. HENCE why I did it!"

"What did you do-" lily kept trying to get answers but these two were at each other's throats without actually being near each other for the fact that Emma wouldn't let them.

"I don't care Regina! You could have figured something else out! You are a smart capable woman. Or maybe it was my time to go, did you ever think about that? You can't just cheat with magic it isn't fair to everyone else in this world."

"You wanted me to let you die so that the world is fair?" Regina asked dumfounded. "You are insane! What is wrong with you?! You can't just decide it's time for you to die because you don't want some person to know about magic EMMA! Don't be stupid." Regina was mad. _How dare Emma just give up like that? She just expected me to let her die so that lily doesn't know about magic yet._

"Magic?" Lily asked just as Emma was about to jump down Regina's throat and then they both snapped their heads in her direction.

"Uh," Emma started.

"Yes. Magic." Regina said simply getting one of the coldest glares she has ever gotten from Emma.

"Em? What is she talking about?"

Emma sighed, "Do you want the whole story at once so we don't have to keep going over it?"

Lily nodded slowly like she was unsure.

"I am the daughter of snow white and prince charming, a product of true love which gives me magic. Regina is the- was the Evil Queen who cursed the Enchanted Forest, where I was born and where they lived, making them all come here with no memories about 30 years ago. My parents 'rescued' me by putting me in a magical wardrobe that sent me to this world and I grew up you know the rest."

Lily was staring at Emma with wide eyes trying to process everything.

Out of no where Lily starts laughing hysterically while trying to speak, "Your parents are Snow white and Prince charming. You have a thing for the Evil Queen. Oh my god Emmy I love you so much. My life would be so boring without you." She rushed forward and hugged Emma, "Wait you have magic too?" Emma nods. "Can you show me something?"

Emma scrunched her face to concentrate a little harder and made a raggedy doll show up in her hand.

Lily's eyes filled with tears, "Emma Swan, it isn't nice to make your friends cry."

The blonde giggled slightly, "Sorry but it's the only thing I could think of in the moment."

"I can't believe you still have it." She said in awe, "I gave that to you the first time we got separated."

"Of course I still have it. It got me through so many homes Lil."

Regina was standing off to the side experiencing the bonding moment. She couldn't help but be a little jealous of the fact that Lily had so much history with Emma and how easily Emma talked to her. She didn't even know why she is jealous. Suddenly feeling like she was intruding she looked away from them. Before she could think about the situation any more, Emma spoke.

"I am going to take Lily on a tour of the town now." She spoke with no emotion and she wouldn't look at Regina.

Regina knew this wasn't just about using magic in front of Lily but she sure the hell wasn't going to bring that up in front of the blonde woman now. "Alright," she said hurt by being dismissed so easily just because some new girl is in town. She supposes she will never be as important to Emma as Lily is, they don't have as much history. "I know when I am being dismissed," the brunette starts to walk towards the door when she remembers, "Henry would really like to see you when you get the chance." Just like that Regina walked out of Emma's house.

Emma felt a little bad with the way she dismissed Regina, but she really couldn't deal with her being around any longer. The sooner she left the better for Emma to get her mind off of the beautiful woman. _What…anyways._

"So where are we going to start?" Lily said as she walked over to her cereal that was just about done being prepared.

"Uh, I guess we can just walk around and I'll point things out." Emma didn't really know what she was supposed to show Lily. She thought she would show her the major things like Granny's, The Rabbit Hole, the sheriff's station and the grocery store. She would figure the rest out on her own, lily is a resourceful woman.

"Sounds good to me," Lily said around a mouthful of banana and cheerios.

Emma laughed at lily's mannerisms for the fact that she missed them so much. She felt like she hadn't seen her in forever. The last time that she was able to come see her was when Emma was living in Boston.

Some time had passed and Lily finished eating and now they were walking around talking about how life has been and what's new with each other. Emma went through most of the people they had to fight, how it was weird to have parents. She left out the part about how her mother was being a major asshole but she figured it was better for Lily not to know. She held grudges a lot longer than Emma did and she couldn't handle Lily not liking her mom.

"Okay, so enough about the amazing charming clan, let's hear about you. How was your birthday?"

Emma stumbled in her steps and for the second time she was not expecting the question.

"Okay, Em, seriously what is the deal? Why are you acting as if your scared to tell me about your birthday? Are you mad at me for not being able to make it last year? I really tried but I couldn't find your number, I'm really sorry."

Emma smiled at how worried she was about not making it to her birthday, "No lils it's not you. You are wonderful I'm really happy you came. I hope you are staying long. I have missed you a lot."

The new arrival melted at Emma's words, she is really happy that Emma doesn't hate her. She doesn't know what she would do if such a thing ever happened. "Okay then if it's not about me not making it on time, then who is it about? Did someone throw you a surprise party oh my god please tell me that isn't what happened."

Emma looked down at her hands as she spoke, "don't worry, believe me that's not what happened."

Lily stopped their walking and faced Emma, "what's going on Emma? Just tell me please, you are worrying me a little bit." Emma mumbled something that was unable to be heard, "Emma what? I didn't hear you."

"I said, they didn't remember it was my birthday." She was looking down at her hands waiting for the reaction she knew was coming.

"THEY WHAT!?" Lily was furious, "THEY FORGOT YOUR FUCKING BIRTHDAY?"

"Lily it's okay it-" Emma was trying to calm her down. This is why she didn't want to tell her and she didn't even tell her all of it yet.

"EMMA IT IS NOT OKAY? HOW COULD YOU SAY THAT?" she started to pace around, "are you- are you saying that _no one_ remembered? Not even Regina?"

"I mean Regina and Henry apparently showed up at the shift I took from my dad but I was already asleep when they got there so they didn't get to say it." Emma didn't realize that she accidentally just told her another part about her horrible birthday.

"Your dad gave you his shift on your birthday." She said each word so slowly like if she said them slow that it would somehow click in her brain how it made sense. Emma cringed when she noticed her slip.

"I- its fine, I agreed to it."

"You agreed to it because no one remembered one of the most important days EVER. Wait did you say that Regina and Henry found you asleep at the station?" Emma wouldn't make eye contact, "Oh Emma I am so sorry. They are all idiots!" lily walked up to her and wrapped her arms around her. Usually Emma would stiffen when someone tried to hug her or pity her, but this was Lily who was there for her throughout most of her life.

"It isn't a big deal," Emma said in a blank tone starring down the street behind Lily sense that is where she was facing in the hug.

"But it is Emma, why do you keep saying it's not a big deal. Did someone tell you that you overreacted?" the blonde made the slightest of twitches but Lily knows her so well that it told her everything she wanted to know. They pulled apart from the hug, "Who fucking told you that you were overreacting? I will kick their ass." Lily was furious, no one messes with Emma's emotions. She has been through too much to have to still be dealing with stupid people.

"I can't tell you because then you'll never be able to forgive her and I need you to like her."

Flashbacks of the morning popped up, "Emma please tell me it wasn't Regina..."

Emma scrunched her eyebrows in confusion, "What? No! Regina wouldn't say that about me. We are friends, she actually stood up for me along with Henry." Lily regarded at her with the most determined look, telling her that she had no way out of telling her who said it. "It was my mom," she admitted quietly but just loud enough for Lily to hear.

Lily's eyes narrowed, her face scrunched in anger and she started to turn red because she was trying not to explode right now. All Lily could think about is every time when Emma was younger, how she used to talk about how she understood that her mother couldn't love her so she had to be sent away and that she wished she could just see her one time to tell her that she was sorry that she wasn't everything that the mother wanted. She thought about all the nightmares of her "mother" that she wished was there would leave her over and over again, each time Lily would tell Emma that if she ever found her mother she would never leave her or hurt her. It turns out Emma's dreams were right, her own mother hurt her _again._

Emma had been trying to get the other woman's attention for the pass five minutes but she wouldn't budge so finally she screamed to see if that would work, "LILY!"

Lily didn't flinch, she just slowly looked up and calmly asked a simple question, "When do we get to go meet your lovely parents?"

"Lily stop it. Its fine I promise I am okay. I was just a birthday, it's not that big of a deal. You are here, that makes my birthday special enough I don't need them to wish me a happy birthday if I have you. You are my tradition for birthdays." Emma looked at Lily desperately trying to get her to calm down. Even though she really did care about the birthday thing she didn't think Lily needed to be this upset about it. She has gotten through much worse, she will overcome this quickly.

Lily heard the things that Emma was saying and she knew that only some of them were fully true, but the look in Emma's eyes told her she really didn't want her to go see her parents when she is ready to explode on them. "Emma, you are really important okay? You can't let other people tell you that you aren't." the blonde assumed that was the end of the speech but when she started to walk more the brunette continued, "and give Regina some slack, she literally saved your life and you didn't say thank you."

Emma felt a little guilty, "You know that wasn't the only thing I was yelling at her about. I just happened to only mention that significant event." she just kind of walked next to Lily with a shrug.

"Yeah _I know,_ but I'm not the one that you snapped at and then kicked out of your house. You were kind of rude ems." Emma flinched, "Look I don't know what is going on between you two, but I can tell that she cares about you which is probably why you have been yelling at her so much."

"I don't yell at her that much," Emma stated defensively while she shifted uncomfortably.

"Okay," Lily laughed dryly. "That just tells me you have probably snapped at her more than I have seen." Emma looked at Lily with an open mouth, "It's okay Ems, It's me I know you. When you think someone cares about you, your first reaction is to run and if that doesn't end up working you just snap at them all the time until they want to leave. The thing is, I don't think Regina will be that easy to get rid of and I've only known her for what, less than a day."

"Lillian this isn't a therapy session." Her face was blank as she spoke the words. She didn't need someone to tell her about things that they had no idea about.

"Whoa!" she laughed, "I see I struck a nerve. Does someone not like to talk about Regina?" Lily was only trying to help but she seemed to have pissed emma off in the process. Usually when she does that she'll make some witty comment or joke and the blonde will smirk just a little bit, but no smirk came. "Okay I'm sorry. I won't bring it up again for now, but we will talk about it. That's what I'm here for, Emmy look at me please. I said I was sorry."

She slowly turned to look at lily, "It's okay. I'm just really struggling with her right now. I'm still kinda pissed she didn't remember my birthday and then when I was trying to get some space to work everything out she wouldn't allow it. She would just poof into my house and find me and then I would snap and kick her out." She paused for a minute then pointed to Lily, "You know not to come after me when I'm figuring stuff out. You wait until I am ready to talk because eventually I am, but with her she wants things to happen when she wants things to happen and I just cant do that. She is a pain in the ass."

Lily was giggling, "So she is as stubborn as you, this _will_ be interesting to watch."

Emma was confused, "why would you watch us?"

"Seriously?" Her eyebrows sky-rocketed onto her forehead, "you are really asking me that?"

"I don't know what you are talking about?"

"You're joking right? Am I being Punk'd? Ashton you can come out now!" she twirled around in a circle calling for him.

"Lily shut up," Emma giggled. "You aren't being Punk'd, you idiot." She pushed her a little and then continued walking down the sidewalk. Lily had to run a little bit to catch up to her, but then they continued the tour of the whole town.

 **I honestly love lily and emmas friendship… UGH so cute.**

 **I am really tired so I am going to post this and then go to sleep when I wake up I will continue this story! Review please! 3**


	8. i'm not sorry for saving your life

**I know I suck but I apologize. I really suck at updating so don't hate me. I know this is a shorter chapter but i like where it ended.**

Regina was sitting in her office doing paper work to get her mind off of everything that happened this morning. She just wanted her Emma back, the one who would come visit her because she was bored at the station. The Emma that would bring her food during her lunch break just so that she didn't have to eat alone. The Emma who would smile and laugh with her all day, not the Emma who has been snapping at her and dismissing her like she wasn't worth a thing in her life. Regina knows she messed up forgetting Emma's birthday, but she feels like Emma has been pushing her away a lot harder than that deserves and she really wants to know why. Here she is at work barely looking at the papers she is signing because she is thinking about Emma, she needs to get the blonde to talk to her without it ending in tears or screams.

There was a knock on the door shocking Regina out of her thoughts.

Emma popped her head through a crack in the door looking unsure whether or not she will get a fire ball to the face or just dismissed if she entered the room all the way. She looked at Regina sitting at the desk, her fingers gripping the door afraid to walk in all the way. Emma isn't the type of the person who apologizes for her reactions in the moment.

"Hey Regina, can I come in?" Emma asked cautiously never taking her eyes off the brunette.

"I'm doing work Miss Swan." She raised her eyebrows and looks down at her papers not wanting to show her surprise that Emma came anywhere near her.

Emma sighs walking in the room with her hands in her pockets. She stops a few feet away from the desk looking down at the floor. "Can we please talk Regina," she says quietly.

Regina looks up finally, feeling a little annoyed that Emma decided to just come in anyways but then she saw how uncomfortable and nervous the savior looked and her resolve failed. "I have a few minutes," she sighed sitting back in her chair waiting for Emma to talk.

Emma walked to the chair opposite of the mayor and sat on the edge of the chair, "I owe you an apology for dismissing you like that this morning. It was wrong of me, even though I was mad with how you handled the banana situation." Emma looked down at her hands in front of her, "That didn't come out right, I'm not really good at apologies."

The brunette can see how hard this was for Emma but she wasn't just going to let her half ass this apology. All Regina did this morning was wake up confused and then got yelled at for saving her best friends life. "I'm sorry, so are you saying you're sorry, but not really because you still think I did the wrong thing in saving your life?" Regina sat there with her eyebrows raised waiting for the blonde sheriff to answer.

"Regina, you shouldn't have used magic in front of Lily! What if she reacted badly out of shock and then left, I would never see her again. You could have found another way." Emma says scooting back in her chair.

"It didn't end badly though, Emma, she wasn't freaked out and she didn't leave. You still just dismissed me, I don't get dismissed, I dismiss people." Regina had her arms crossed glaring at her.

"The fact is you didn't know if she was going to react well-"

"But she did." Regina interrupted like it was obvious.

"She could have been pissed-"

"But she wasn't Emma, and I saved your life!" Regina said exasperatedly getting annoyed. "I'm not going to apologize for saving you, so if that's why you really came here you can leave now."

"No, I came here to apologize, but apparently I don't know how to talk to you without getting mad or frustrated."

Regina looked up at Emma, "You used to. What happened to change that Emma, because you know I feel horrible I forgot your birthday and yet you keep treating me like the villain you told everyone I wasn't."

"I-" she tried to think of a reason but most of it she was still too scared to admit. "I don't know, I guess I'm just not long term friend material." Emma shrugs, "Let me just do what I came here for." She pauses for a second, "I'm really sorry for how I've been treating you. I have been treating you like shit when you aren't the only one that deserves it. It seems that all my emotional frustrations are being aimed at you, it's not fair."

Regina was shocked by the actual apology, "It's- I forgive you Emma." There was something about the way that the blonde said she isn't long term friend material that scared her. Does that mean Emma is planning on pulling away even more?

"Thank you," Emma let out a deep breath and stood up to leave. "I'll let you get back to work now," she smiled lightly and a little forced before starting to leave the office.

At the last moment Regina had one more question, "Emma?" The sheriff turned around and looked at Regina waiting for her to speak, "Are we okay now?" It was a loaded question and Regina knew it, but she needed to know if she got her best friend back.

"I-I don't know Regina," she says sadly looking at the brunette. "I think you should just leave me alone from now on. I'm better on my own." She starts to walk again towards the door.

"So you don't want to be friends anymore?" Regina asked standing up with confusion and anxiety in her voice, "That means we aren't okay, that means you've given up on us, on our friendship." The brunette walks around her desk towards the other woman. She was frustrated with Emma, but not enough to actually want to never see her again.

Emma turns towards Regina, "I'm not giving up, it's just time to stop, Regina all we ever do anymore is fight. I've yelled at you so many times this week alone and I didn't even notice until Lily called me out on it and then I went through all the things I've said and done to you. They weren't nice and I hate myself for saying them to you even if it was just to get you to leave mad. You deserve a friendship where they treat you like a person not a punching bag and if you force this, it won't end great. I know one thing about myself and that is when I'm upset I lash out at the people I care about. You don't need that garbage in your life." Emma was talking passionately, she doesn't want to hurt Regina any more. She couldn't believe that Regina even wanted to be friends with her anymore.

"Don't call yourself garbage Emma. You have been going through a lot for this short week, all of your family and friends didn't remember your birthday but one. You have a right to be mad about and take it out on us." She walked a little closer to Emma, "and yes you may have said some things you shouldn't have, and yes they did hurt my feelings but I'm a big girl Emma. I can take a few choice words from you. You may not have noticed then that you have been pushing me away and being mean, but you know now and you apologized. The apology which I accepted by the way. So I don't get why you are trying to end the friendship unless there is something you aren't explaining and that I'm missing on why you are actually running away from me."

With every step that Regina got closer to Emma, Emma backed away or moved in a different direction to keep space between them. "There isn't anything else," she said looking at the ground shrugging to herself as she walked in the opposite direction as Regina, trying to make it seem like she wasn't keeping distance.

Regina noticed the sheriff wouldn't let her close to her. It wasn't like she was trying to invade personal space she just didn't want to stand across the room, shouting at her any longer. When she tried to get closer again and Emma walked over by the desk to pretend to look at a stapler she had enough. "Okay Emma, what the hell."

"What?" she looked up at Regina faking confusion.

"You know what! Stop moving, I'm just trying to talk to you. Why won't you let me come near you?" the former evil queen glared at the blonde more confused than angry.

"I don't know what you're talking about," the blonde looked down at the stapler still in her hands.

"Emma, come on! We have been friends for years, and now you can't even look at me when I walk to you and I can't get within 10 feet of you without you moving to the opposite side of the room." The brunette didn't try to move to her again assuming that she would just move again.

Emma sighed leaning against the desk, "sorry, I just don't know what to do anymore."

"Do for what? Emma you are acting as if we just met and it's frustrating. You've known me for 5 years, I've shared things with you and you with me."

"I just don't think we are the same people anymore." She crosses her arms and glances at Regina quickly before looking back down.

Regina was silent thinking over everything in her head. They stood there in silence for a while before Regina finally spoke. "I wish I would have just remembered your birthday, things would still be like they used to be. I wouldn't have hurt you, you wouldn't be pulling away and telling me you no longer want to be friends. I'm so stupid, how could I have forgotten. You're my best friend." Regina was upset and it was noticeable, you could hear it in her voice that she feels like the worst person in the world.

Emma looks up at the brunette as she speaks, "Regina-"

"You are always the one to help everyone and make everyone feel loved. Then the one day people are supposed to do the same for you, no one does. Not even your friend or your parents. Emma I'm so sorry, I wish I could rewind to the day and make you feel how loved you are."

Emma stood up panicking a little, "Regina stop-"

"I could have done so much, but I was preoccupied by my own life like the selfish person I am. It isn't fair, Emma, it just isn't fair you didn't get the perfect day. I have all these ideas for it but now it's too late and you would see it as me pitying you. I don't want to make you feel less than you are because you are so much to me." Regina couldn't stop once it started, she just needed to get this all out. She tried to hold it in but she doesn't want to lose Emma. "I don't want us to not be friends, and yes that's selfish too, but I can't help it. You have made my life so much better and I honestly don't want to see how my life will be without you in it again. I care about you a lot, I lo-"

"REGINA STOP." Emma said panicked screaming then covering her mouth. She was breathing hard, staring at Regina with wide eyes. Regina had snapped her mouth shut the moment Emma spoke. She notices the panicked look on Emma's face and feels bad immediately, she should have been about to say those words to her while she was already pulling away. "I need to go," Emma stated suddenly and started to run past Regina.

"Emma, I'm sorry, wait." She knew not to grab at her because it will only make her upset even more.

Emma poofed out of the room and to her house. She ran towards the stairs only to be blocked by a body…

 **OOOOOOH who is it!? nobodddddy knooooows :3 hehe. Is it Regina or Lily? Why? Give me your vote and it might persuade me into doing it.**


	9. visitors

**I know I just posted a chapter, but honestly the only reason why I didn't just keep going with the other is because I couldn't choose whether or not to have Regina or Lily show up. Everyone has been saying Regina which makes since because you are all a bunch of swanqueen druggies that I love with all my heart.**

Regina's body to be exact.

Emma was seconds away from tears when she got into her house, and seeing Regina in her house didn't make her feel much better.

"Emma, we need to finish our conversation I know that it upset you, but you need to hear it."

"What have I told you about magicing into my house after I leave you to get away?" Emma stated with a watery voice.

"You said you don't like it, I also know that it makes you really mad." Regina says feeling a little guilty, "but we need to talk and you cheated because you magiced away first."

"I don't want to talk, I just want to go up to my room." She says trying to push past the brunette but Regina wasn't having it. She gently put a hand on each one of Emma's arms to get her to stand still and look at her.

"Emma, look at me." Emma moved her eyes so she was looking anywhere but where Regina's eyes were. "Please."

She finally gave up and looking at Regina but didn't speak, she didn't have anything to say and if Emma did speak it would probably come out more as a sob.

"I'm sorry for what I sprang on you in the office but you needed to hear it. You need to know that I feel extremely guilty for not remembering your birthday. You are so important to me, more than you know, and thinking of what you must have felt that day breaks my heart." Regina takes a deep breath and looks into Emma's eyes, "I can't lose you as a friend, Emma. I need you around me, you make me feel alive and like I'm worth something. When-" Emma tried to move out of Regina's hold but the brunette was quicker and held her there keeping eye contact as much as Emma would allow. "When I'm with you I don't feel like a reformed villain, I feel like Regina. You make me feel like a human being even after everything I've done to you and your family plus countless other people. You saw the good in me and you forced me to show you who I really am. Emma you can't just give that up because you're scared please. Just tell me why you feel the need to pull away from me." Regina was franticly searching Emma's eyes for clues, for a sign of anything.

Emma just stood there and listened to her, she didn't realize how much Regina cared about her. Before the whole birthday fiasco Emma pretty much felt like she just annoyed the mayor on a daily basis and that Regina was just waiting for the day when Emma decided to leave her alone. She never realized that the other woman enjoyed her presence as much as Emma enjoyed hers. "I didn't realize you even liked our friendship, you never said anything before."

Regina was shocked for the third time that day, "What? What do you mean you didn't know that I liked our friendship?"

Emma shrugs, "I just felt like I was always forcing you to hang around me. Don't get me wrong, I loved every moment of our time together, but I just assumed you didn't like it as much."

"Emma I love spending time with you, I know I'm not really good at expressing those feelings but I'm trying to get better. I was trying to explain everything to you at the office but you interrupted me."

"Regina, come on. Just let it go you can find someone better to spend time with. Someone who doesn't snap at you when you say just one wrong word. Someone who-" Emma didn't get a chance to finish her little speech because Regina had hear enough of Emma talking badly about herself for one day. She connected their lips together, unsure of how well the blonde will take this move. Emma's first reaction was freezing, assessing the situation and understand what is actually happening. The next move she had was to bring her hands up into Regina's hair and kiss her back, much to Regina's relief. Once Emma started kissing back Regina allowed her access by opening her mouth a little more. She had been dreaming of kissing Emma for most of the time that she knew her. A small moan escaping Regina as Emma pushes her against the wall by the stairs. Their bodies are pressed against each other and Regina outs her hands on Emma's sides pulling her impossibly closer. When they finally have to separate for air, they stare at each other in awe and lust that they finally did the one thing they have both been wanting.

"I wouldn't want someone else Emma," she brushes the blondes hair back from her face. "I want you, only you."

Emma was staring at her, reading her face to make sure that she wasn't lying, "I'm scared." It was a small sentence but it meant a lot. It explained to Regina why she was pushing her away so hard and why she got the brunt of the anger about her birthday. It also explains why even though Emma was telling her to leave her alone she never forced her to do it.

"Me too," Regina states quietly. "Whatever we do about this, about us, we need to decide together and we don't have to rush. I know you're scared Emma, but please don't run away from me. I don't think I would be able to handle it."

Emma feels so much lighter after the kiss, she doesn't have to worry if Regina likes her back because she initiated the kiss. "I'll try." They stood there staring at each other not really comprehending what just happened between them.

The front door opens, and their little bubble pops. "Hey Em!" lily yells after closing the door. Emma is still looking at Regina but they moved apart.

"Yeah?"

"I was just seeing if you wanted to go get food I'm sta- oh hey Regina I didn't know you were here."

"Yeah I could eat," Emma said ignoring the lingering question of why Regina is here. "Can Regina come?"

"Yeah of course!" Lily runs happily up the stairs, "I just need to pee first."

"You want to go right?" Emma was looking at Regina, "I mean I understand if you don't want to. I can come up with an excuse for you."

"Emma," Regina said in a calm voice. "It's okay, I want to go with you plus I haven't eaten since breakfast.

After Lily finishes in the bathroom they all head out to Granny's. Emma and Regina sit next to each other their hands lying next to each other on the booth. Every few minutes both of them will smile because one of them brushed the others hand with theirs.

 **Don't be mad its so short, I want to post it cuz Im really sleeeeeeepy. Give me ideas to continue please! I will more than likely actually use some of the ideas. Thank you for reading and sorry for calling you all druggies up at the top lol but im included in it**


	10. something always happens at granny's

"Is Granny's like the only decent place to get food here, because it's always so crowded in here," Lily said to Emma and Regina as they sat waiting for their food.

"Pretty sure granny's food is the best," Emma replies

"It isn't healthy though, she should add more vegetables and fruits to her menu," Regina said smartly as she leaned back in her seat, though her hand never moved from next to Emma's

Emma chuckles lightly at the comment Regina made, "I love her grilled cheese."

"Em, I feel like you could live off any grilled cheese. You still like that crap?" Lily teased with a laugh as she started rolling up the straw wrapper from her straw.

"Yeah," she said offended. "Why the hell wouldn't I still like grilled cheese?" She didn't understand the concept of someone not liking the cheesy goodness.

Regina raised her eyebrows in amusement at the friend's conversation, "you should really eat healthier dear."

"Grilled cheese is healthy."

Regina turned and gave the blonde a disbelieving look where she was greeted with a stupidly charming smile that looked as if she was expecting just that reaction. "Very cute," her voice gave a tone as if it was the complete opposite of what she said though.

"I know," Emma chuckles softly and looks over to where Lily is sitting across from them. Lily was just smirking causing the blonde to roll her eyes and maybe move her hand a little bit away from Regina's self-consciously.

When Regina noticed Emma's hand move, there was a small hint of disappointment that shadowed her face but she schooled it pretty well.

Ruby walked over with their food on a tray, the relationship between her and Emma has been a bit strained still since they haven't had a chance to talk in person. "I got a grilled cheese with onion rings, a burger with fries hold the onion and a chicken caesar salad with light dressing. do you guys need anything else?" As she set down each item she looked at the owner of the plates to see if they did actually need something but as her eyes scanned them they all shook their heads to the negative. "Just give a holler if you need anything I'll be behind the counter." She turns and walks away avoiding small talk which is very un-Rubylike.

Regina looked over at Emma to look for any reaction on her face, but just like she was assuming the blonde's face was like a mask of indifference.

They ate their meal in peace for the most part, when they did talk it was about the generic topics of work or Lily's travels. It seemed like there was an unspoken rule between the three of them not to bring up any tense topics just for this lunch.

"So I have to ask," Lily says once they all finish eating and are now just sitting and chatting at the table. Both Emma and Regina tense next to each other not really sure why but it probably had something to do with how both of them are very private people. Lily noticed and chuckled, "oh calm down you two, I'm not asking about you guys. I already know I walked in on something earlier, it's only a matter of time before Emma comes to talk to me about it." Emma opens her mouth to say something against it but Lily doesn't give her a chance, "what I was going to ask is when do I get to meet these amazing parents of yours. I have a few things I want to say to them."

" _Lily_."

Regina just smirks thinking of how fun that scene would be, "oh I'm sure I can arrange something for you."

" _Regina_." The blonde looked over at her with a clenched jaw and eyes that were squinting just enough to let the queen know she was being scolded right now.

"What? They deserve it, who forgets their own child's birthday?"

"That's what I'm saying! Thank you! Em, you have no reason to protect them, they deserve to know that they fucked up royally." Lily smirks at the last minute addition of 'royally' which caused Regina to laugh.

"How fitting," Regina's mind was swarming with different ideas of how they could get back at the charming couple.

"It's not that big of a deal that they didn't remember-"

"That's bullshit Emma and you know it!" Lily hated how the blonde just dismissed their mistakes, she hates how Emma is just trying to move past it all like it was nothing but a mere misunderstanding.

"I have to say I agree with your friend, Emma, how are your parents not remembering such a small thing to you?"

"They weren't the only ones who forgot," there goes the automatic snapping at Regina once again. Emma was looking between both of her friends until the moment she could no longer do it and was just staring down the brunette mayor.

Regina wasn't completely surprised by the behavior but it still didn't make her feel the greatest. "I'm well aware of my sins Miss Swan but I am paying for it greatly with how I don't get you anymore. How come they get a pass while I don't?"

Emma hated this, she hated being ganged up on and she hated the fact that she couldn't get up and storm out because Regina was in the way. What she hated the most was that Regina was mostly right, she wasn't just letting them by because she didn't want to deal with them. There were some real feelings down there which she wasn't too keen on sharing anytime soon. If they keep pushing she'll explode again, it'll be tempered but it will be huge all the same.

"It's kind of a double standard," Lily points out noticing that she was getting quiet and in her head. Emma never said Lily was a master at knowing when to give her a break, just that sometimes she knew more than others. "Tell me how that's fair-"

"It's fair because my parents haven't fucking been to any of my birthday's, they haven't been there at all so why should they have remembered?" She snaps and let out a breath through her nose as she sat there annoyed with both of the people at the table.

Regina and Lily look at each other with an empathetic look, sometimes they forget that Emma has reasons for everything she says and does. In her mind, they haven't been her parents her whole life so why do they need to start now? It's less of a blow to her that her parents forgot and more painful that her friends forget because it's simpler.

Regina opened her mouth to apologize once again for never knowing when to shut up when the door to the diner opened and closed signaling an entrance. What she wasn't expecting (but wasn't surprised to see since they have always had horrible timing) was to see Snow and Charming walking in with big smiles on their faces. They hadn't noticed Emma yet so that gives them a couple of minutes. "Speak of the devils."

Emma looks over to what Regina was talking about and tenses so hard that she could be a statue. Lily looks over at Emma and then the door, she assumes that the couple they are looking at is Emma's parents. It's weird that they aren't older considering Emma's age but of course, that's explained with the curse they were stuck in for all that time. "Lily don't say anything to them _please_." The blonde said sternly as she maintained eye contact with her friend the whole time.

"Emma-"

"I said please," it came out in a rushed whisper since her parents had spotted her sitting there and were headed towards the table they sat at. Lily responded with a reluctant nod, but she wouldn't want to be on Emma's bad side right now. She has enough people there.

"Emma," Charming started with a nervous voice. He knew that he and Emma were at least okay but he also knew what Snow said to her.

"Hey David," Emma smiles tightly at her dad and adjusts herself in her seat. Regina looks at Emma to gauge her reaction and what was going to happen.

"Hi sweetheart, who's this?" Snow said while looking over at Lily completely looking past the uncomfortable tension they caused.

"I'm Lily," it was hard not to add more than that. She wanted to say that she was the family that Emma never had thanks to them, but since Emma asked her nicely not to she kept it to herself as much as she could.

"Hello, nice to meet you. We are Emma's parents," the way she spoke was beaming with pride. Lily couldn't keep the scoff from escaping her throat and Regina couldn't help but smirk at the reaction.

"Lily," Emma says under her breath as a warning and Lily puts her hands up in surrender.

"Sorry," she smiles up at the couple with a passive aggressive smile. "It's nice to meet you Emma's parents, do you happen to have names?"

Regina actually chuckled at that, her face was pure amusement. Each second she hung out with Lily was a point in her favor. She liked that the brunette doesn't take shit from anyone and that she protects the savior at all costs even if it means she'll be death glared by the blonde.

"I'm David," he smiles and puts out his hand to shake hers realizing she obviously doesn't think too highly of them. The man doesn't blame her. Lily takes his hand as a sign of courtesy to him only for Emma's sake, speaking of which, said blonde woman has been extremely quiet since they got to the table.

"Emma, you're being awfully quiet, why haven't you told us about Lily?" Her mother spoke in a condescending voice towards her daughter which made Lily's eyebrows sky-rocket to her hair-line and Regina's perk in annoyance.

"She has been rather busy saving everyone's lives and being sheriff, dear, maybe you should have tried to get to know your daughter better." Emma may have told Lily not so say anything but Regina sure as hell wasn't going to keep her mouth shut.

"It just hadn't come up in conversation," Emma shrugs and starts to come back to herself slightly. "I didn't purposefully leave her out, but I also didn't think you needed to know." Why did they have to know about Lily? What would they gain from knowing that Lily helped her survive through the system or that she would have been dead if it wasn't for the brunette sitting across from her?

"Of course we needed to know Emma," Snow spoke in an unbelieving voice. "We want to know everything about you."

A whisper escaped Lily's mouth in retaliation to what the pixie-cut woman was saying to Emma, "but you can't even remember her birthday..." Lily tried, she really did but she just couldn't stand this woman right now.

"Lily!"

"We're still on that? Really Emma?" Snow scoffs as she shakes her head with a laugh.

Lily was about to apologize to Emma but that disappeared the moment Snow spoke again, "Oh hell yeah she's still on that? Why wouldn't she be?" Her eyes bore into David and Snows, "Her parent's and everyone she got to know since she broke this stupid curse forgot her birthday. I'd think it's safe to say I wouldn't be over it either."

"Lily, it's okay just-"

"No Emma, she's right." Regina takes the blonde's hand and squeezes it, "I was apart of the people who forgot but I've made it clear that I will make it up to you. Your father has as well, but her? She keeps coming at you as if you are to blame for this."

"Regina this is a family matter," snow still didn't seem to get what everyone was trying to tell her or the fact that they are all pissed at her. "maybe we should talk about this later when it's just us." She looked at Emma and David sighs in annoyance, he looks extremely uncomfortable.

"No," Emma says simply. "Regina is the only one- besides David- who has even tried to apologize to me. She's allowed to be here if she wants to be."

"Emma-"

"No, I'm done talking about this. I was having a good meal until you came in here, what is with you and interrupting my meals?" Emma was hiding behind annoyance, "Can you just go get your food and leave me alone." It was a question but it was stated, she wasn't asking and it was obvious.

Lily smiles, this was the Emma she was used to. The one who didn't let anyone say shit she didn't agree with, of course, it took someone insulting Regina in a way for her to come out to play but at least it happened.

"Emma!" Snow sounded like she was about to scold her daughter but she never got the chance.

David took the princess's arm and shook his head, "snow would you just let it go. come on we need to get our food we didn't come here so you can fight with our daughter." He pushes his wife to head to the counter while turning back to the blonde, "I'm sorry Em."

She shook her head to him with a soft smile, a way of saying it wasn't his fault, as he turned to walk away to where his wife was. "Can we go?"

Lily and Regina both stood up quickly as an answer and the three of them left the diner.


	11. The calm before

A few weeks later,

Emma tried to make everything go back to normal but every once in a while Regina would bring it up or Lily would make a snide comment towards Emma's parents. She didn't blame them, she was just tired of feeling so angry all the time.

What bothered her the most was that Regina wouldn't leave her alone when she was mad, even if she snapped at the brunette; Regina would just stand there and take it. Towards the end, she always felt guilty because everyone was right she did take her anger out on Regina and it's because Regina is the one that hurt her the most.

With her parents forgetting her birthday it wasn't a big deal, she expected it. Since the curse was broken she never once assumed that Snow and Charming were going to be good parents to her. She thought it would be nice to somehow wake up one morning and feel like they were her parents but that never happened and she accepted that. She started a new family, she has Henry and Regina and now Lily who has stayed a lot longer than she normally does.

Today was going to be the first time in a while that everyone is going to be under the same roof for a celebration. It's Henry's birthday, he's officially turning 18 and Emma was both thrilled and terrified about the concept at the same time.

Regina and Emma have been getting along a lot more lately, it's almost back to the old ways of jokes and flirting without the fake smiles. The blonde, of course, isn't completely over the entire situation along with the fact that she has always been scared when someone gets too close. Emma knows that if she lets Regina get close to her like they used to be then the mayor will see it as an opening to be something more. She's healed but she isn't that healed. The blonde had a fucked up life, it'll take more than getting through one major fight to show Emma that Regina isn't just going to metaphorically send her to jail again.

It's been nice for Emma having Lily around, she's been staying with the blonde so that she doesn't have to pay rent and Emma is more than happy to have her as company for as long as she decides to stay. There is a small part of Emma that hopes her foster sister/best friend might stay permanently. Lily doesn't like to stay in one place for long though. So she doesn't get her hopes up.

There is one person that still feels extremely guilty to the point of avoidance, not Emma avoiding her but the other way around. Ruby hasn't had a full conversation with the blonde since she remembered she missed Emma's birthday. It wasn't that Emma was really trying to start a conversation whenever she sees her but that hasn't stopped the lanky brunette before from chatting her ear off. Emma told herself that if for some reason they still hadn't put it behind them by tonight she was going to fix it because she honestly misses Ruby. She is one of Emma's closest friends here besides the few everyone already knows about. The one downside of Ruby as a friend is that she is also Snow's best friend and that loyalty is so much deeper than anything her and Emma could get to. What Emma didn't know is that Ruby hasn't really been able to talk with Snow much lately, since she heard what the pixie cut woman was saying to her daughter Ruby had lost major respect for her. She couldn't just drop that long of a friendship though so she's trying to make it work, from where Ruby is standing the friendship is basically dead.

 **Regina Mills: When are you heading to your parent's house?**

 _ **Emma Swan: When I'm done getting ready, why?**_

 **Regina Mills: Henry went over there early to help and I was not going to go with him.**

 **Regina Mills: Is it alright if I come over and then we could ride there together?**

 _ **Emma Swan: I guess, I don't see why that would be a problem.**_

Emma was up in her room, she just set her phone down and was smoothing out the dress she's wearing. Her mother as well as pretty much anyone she asked told her that she has to dress up, shes the mother of the birthday boy. The blonde hates wearing dresses, they make her feel uncomfortable until the moment she takes them off. That being said her legs look hot as hell in a dress. She put on a short black leather dress with black wedges and her hair was half up half down in waves. To add to the elegance of her outfit, Emma's lips are a red color and her eyes are lined with black to make her green eyes pop. Not even a few moments after she finished getting ready she heard her front door open and close which made her roll her eyes. Only Regina would ask permission to come over and then the next minute barge in without a knock.

"Emma?" She called out which Emma heard through the walls, the blonde could hear every single click of the mayor's shoes. 

"Upstairs! I'll be down in a sec."

Regina decides to go make herself comfortable in Emma's living room to wait for her to come downstairs. She was happy that Emma was finally talking to her again and that they didn't have too many arguments- well they still had arguments but not the ones that left either of them personal stressed. When she finally heard Emma walking down the stairs and into the room she turned to see her, what she wasn't expecting was to be speechless.

Emma hadn't noticed right away that Regina saw her and wasn't speaking she was fixing one of her heels and then started walking towards the living room as she was fixing her earring. When she finally saw the brunette she noticed that she was staring and she started to feel a bit self-conscious. "What? Is it too much? Everyone was telling me I had to dress up!"

That shook Regina out of her head and allowed her to speak, "No! You look fine- actually more than fine, you look beautiful Emma." Her voice is so soft, softer than the blonde had ever heard before.

"Oh," she says taken aback by the sincere compliment. "Thanks, you look amazing too but you always do so it's not a difference."

Regina rolls her eyes and chuckles, "such a charmer I see."

Emma shrugs as she takes a step closer to Regina, "must run in the family."

"He is _not_ that charming, your mother gives him way too much credit- although I prefer him to her any day."

"And choosing between him and me?" she smirks as she crosses her arms.

Regina lets out a dramatic sigh before she pretends to think about it, "I don't know dear, that's a tough one but I think I'm going to have to go with... you." She smiles softly at the idiot who was beaming right back at her 100% more. Some days Regina doesn't understand why she is in love with this woman, then she has days like this.

"Good answer," Emma moves to grab her keys and her jacket-

"You are _**not**_ putting that thing on over that!"

Emma looked offended as she continues to hold the jacket in her hands, "what? Yes, I am, it's kinda chilly out- besides I happen to love this jacket."

"Oh believe me I know, dear, but you have this elegant outfit on I am not letting you ruin it with that idiotic jacket."

"Letting?" Emma raises her eyebrows as she slowly begins putting the jacket on never breaking eye contact with the brunette as she glares at her.

Regina sighs and rolls her eyes as Emma turns towards the door to head to it, "you're an idiot."

"Then I match my jacket, perfect." She sasses before holding the door open for Regina to walk out and then turns around locks it and follows the brunette. "I would ask if we are taking your car or mine but you think mine it junk so I'll save us both the conversation and just get in yours."

"She can be trained," Regina smirks and gets in the driver's seat.

All that could be heard through the closed door as Emma walked around to get in the passenger seat was mumblings of Emma saying 'she shouldn't have been the evil queen she should have just been the sassy queen.'


	12. the storm

She walks into her parent's home with Regina by her side, the day was going pretty well and she couldn't see how it could take a turn. Henry came running over to them and hugged both of them together before hugging them separately, "Thank god you're here, I thought you might decide to just stay home." He laughs and scratches his head to show his nerves with makes Emma relax even more because he seemed more nervous about this night than either of them.

"We wouldn't miss this for the world," Regina kisses his head and runs her hand up and down his shoulder as Emma nods in agreement.

"She's right kid, now go have fun and stop hanging out with us old folk."

Henry rolls his eyes and laughs but Regina's head turns to Emma with an offended face, "Excuse me! I am not old."

Emma raises her eyebrows and sucks her lips into her mouth before walking away from her towards the drinks.

"Miss Swan! I am not old," She follows after her and stops with her arm resting on the counter as she stands next to Emma facing her.

"You're like 60 years old Regina-"

"I AM NOT!"

Emma chuckles since the outburst caused people to look over, "technically you're somewhere around that age. I haven't done the exact math."

Regina rolls her eyes and lets out a frustrated breath, "Cursed years don't count."

"Maybe to you."

"To everyone."

"Fine."

Regina squints her eyes at Emma who was faking innocents, "I am not old."

"Okay," she says in a laugh as she pours the brunette a drink. "Okay, fine, you aren't old. Prove it and drink this." Emma slides a shot over to Regina and she looks like she's about to decline the offer but then puts on a serious face while staring Emma down and taking the shot like a champ.

"Anything else you'd like me to do?"

"You have no idea," Emma mumbles under her breath as she takes a drink of her beer.

"Pardon?"

"Nothing." Then she chuckles and makes a face, "old people say pardon."

"Educated people use it as well, just because not all of us got our education from prison walls..." She leaves the end of the jab to hang.

Emma laughs loudly and shakes her head, "I didn't go to prison until I was out of school Regina, but nice try."

Regina just shrugs and then pours herself a glass of wine.

Emma is sitting in the living room chatting with August and Lily when she sees Ruby sitting over in one of the chairs across the way. She has felt someone staring at her and she couldn't figure out who it was until she just saw Ruby. The brunette has been side-eying and keeping track of Emma all night without ever once trying to come to talk to her. Emma has had enough so she gets up and walks over to her, "Hi. Can we talk?"

Ruby looks up at Emma like she's in trouble but stands, "sure."

Once they are in private Emma doesn't waste a minute to start, "What's your problem?"

The brunette's eyes go big in shock, "I-"

"You know I'm not pissed at you right? Because for the record I'm not."

"You aren't?"

"No Rubes, I'm not. I'm over the whole situation and I miss talking to you."

"You do?" She's no longer shocked or scared, she looks excited and soft.

"Yeah," she shrugs it off. "I mean- you know what I mean, can you stop avoiding me now?"

Ruby bites her lip feeling embarrassed that Emma noticed but nods, "Yeah. sorry."

"it's fine, so we're okay?"

"Yeah," Ruby rushes forward and hugs the blonde before she could even say anything.

Everyone was at peace now, Ruby was finally acting like her normal self, Regina was a bit more intoxicated than she probably planned but was still smiling, Henry was laughing and hanging out with his friends while also spending time with others who showed up. He's such a good kid, she doesn't know how such a little man like himself came from her.

Emma and Regina are standing by the living room area along with Ruby, Archie, Lily, and August. These were the people that she liked, this is the kind of stuff she has missed while everything was messed up. In this moment she was happy for the first time in a long time, she couldn't stop laughing or smiling it was almost unnatural.

"CAKE TIME!" Snow shouts and Henry smiles in anticipation towards getting to eat cake because no matter how old he gets the kid will always have a super sweet tooth. Everyone's attention was caught, it was one of those moments where you just look around and see all smiling faces. Everyone was here to celebrate the little boy who ran away to find his birth mother so that she can save everyone, who is now turning into an adult.

Henry stands between Regina and Emma, it's his go-to place to be since he never wants either of them to miss anything that happens. Regina was smiling at him with such a proud mother bear smile and Emma felt so much love at the moment she wanted to burst.

Snow walks carefully towards Henry, the cake being held in both of her hands right in front of her. She has a giant smile on her face but something feels off, once she is standing right in front of the three of them Emma looks down and immediately her heart drops and the world around her turns into white noise.

Henry looked sad, somehow she was able to see that and understand that but the rest of this she didn't get. More than anything she sincerely hopes that this wasn't everyone's plan. Why would she do this?

"What's this?" Emma says on autopilot, the whole room would've been silent if it weren't for the fact that they started to sing happy birthday. Instead of letting it happen she says the same thing over again but a bit louder, "what is this?" The singing stops and Henry looks over at Emma and then to Regina who was confused since she hadn't looked at the cake yet. The brunette only saw Emma's face and all that she could read was pain and hurt which were not two things that were on her face all night until this moment.

"It's a cake, Emma." Snow says with a dopey smile as she looks down at it and then back up to the blonde, "It's your cake. I wanted to wish you a happy birthday since you were making such a big deal out of the entire situation."

Emma flinches and swallows hard trying to stop the painful tears from showing Snow how much this sucks. "It's Henry's birthday, not mine."

"He'll still get a cake, Emma, I just wanted to surprise you. Since we forgot your birthday I feel like we've grown apart, just because I didn't remember doesn't mean I don't love you." The entire room has gone silent, most of the room was in shock and didn't know what to do the other people were uncomfortable and probably wanted to leave just like Emma does.

It hurts, that her mother would be petty like this. Taking away Henry's big party moment at the same time just because she wanted to. It felt like she was being made fun of, that this was all some kind of joke to Snow. The blonde couldn't help the tears that sprang to her eyes. Henry must have noticed because he grabbed her hand, "ma?"

Emma turns to look at him and gives him a really weak smile, it was almost a grimace. Today was going so well, she doesn't understand. "I'm sorry kid," she leans over and kisses him on the head as she squeezes his hand. A tear slipping down her cheek and then she pushes through the people all silently watching the interaction before making it out of the apartment.

Lily was pissed, she hadn't stepped in yet because she didn't know if she was drunk hallucinating a horrible mother or anything, "God, Emma was better off when she didn't know who her mother was. What the fuck were you thinking when you did that?" She took a step closer to the woman with the cake still in her hands, "Are you seriously telling me you just used your grandson's birthday party to be a bitch?"

Regina was all for listening to Lily rip Snow a new one but she was too focused on following after Emma. "Henry, darling, go sit with Archie and when Lily heads home please go with her."

"Yeah okay, just go find ma okay?"

Regina nods and immediately leaves the apartment after grabbing her coat and slipping it on. Her heels echo down the staircase while she runs as quickly as she can without falling. Once shes outside the cold air hit her and she has to take a deep breath, Regina looks both ways to see if the blonde started walking or got in the car. She catches a wave of Emma's hair a bit far down the sidewalk and immediately rushes after it.

Emma didn't know why that happened, all she could think about was the smug look on Snow's face as she did it. It was embarrassing and completely uncalled for, wiping away a few tears as she hears, unsurprisingly, Regina Mills calling her name to stop.

"Emma!"

"Emma please stop!"

She doesn't listen just keeps walking but she can tell that the brunette is getting closer.

Regina grabs her arm in a gentle way to get the blonde to stop walking, "hey. Are you okay?"

Emma just looks at the woman in front of her and can't hold it in anymore, she starts to cry. Not just a few tears leaking down her cheeks but full force painful crying, "Why did she do that?"

No hesitation once she saw the savior whose life hasn't been the easiest crying out of pure pain from her own mother, she pulled Emma into her arms and hugged her. Emma started to cry harder because it was safe to, nothing she could do could make Regina run away and she's proven herself time and time again.

Purple smoke bursts around them and the next thing she knew they were in Emma's room, she pulls the blonde to sit on the edge of the bed. She feels much better now that she isn't having to worry about anyone else walking home or the freezing weather of Maine.

"I'm sorry, Emma."

The blonde just holds onto the woman as she lets herself cry in the safety of Regina's arms. "Can you just stay with me tonight?" Emma questions as she sits up to look at Regina, "I don't want to be alone."

"I'm not going anywhere," Regina spoke kindly then waved her hand to change them into comfortable clothes. "Why don't we lay down? You must be exhausted, dear."

Emma wipes her eyes and then looks at her spot before moving to it and getting all comfortable then holding her hand out so that Regina can reach it from the position she moved to lay in.


End file.
